Specific DNA barcodes screening, germplasm resource identification, and genetic diversity analysis of Platycodon grandiflorum / 药学学报

Platycodonis Radix is the dry root of Platycodon grandiflorum of Campanulaceae, which has a variety of pharmacological effects and is a commonly used bulk Chinese medicine. In this study, the chloroplast genome sequences of six P. grandiflorum from different producing areas has been sequenced with Illumina HiSeq X Ten platform. The specific DNA barcodes were screened, and the germplasm resources and genetic diversity were analyzed according to the specific barcodes. The total length of the chloroplast genome of 6 P. grandiflorum samples was 172 260-172 275 bp, and all chloroplast genomes showed a typical circular tetrad structure and encoded 141 genes. The comparative genomics analysis and results of amplification efficiency demonstrated that trnG-UCC and ndhG_ndhF were the potential specific DNA barcodes for identification the germplasm resources of P. grandiflorum. A total of 305 P. grandiflorum samples were collected from 15 production areas in 9 provinces, for which the fragments of trnG-UCC and ndhG_ndhF were amplificated and the sequences were analyzed. The results showed that trnG-UCC and ndhG_ndhF have 5 and 11 mutation sites, respectively, and 5 and 7 haplotypes were identified, respectively. The combined analysis of the two sequences formed 13 haplotypes (named Hap1-Hap13), and Hap4 is the main genotype, followed by Hap1. The unique haplotypes possessed by the three producing areas can be used as DNA molecular tags in this area to distinguish from the germplasm resources of P. grandiflorum from other areas. The haplotype diversity, nucleotide diversity and genetic distance were 0.94, 4.79×10-3 and 0.000 0-0.020 3, respectively, suggesting that the genetic diversity was abundant and intraspecific kinship was relatively close. This study laid a foundation for the identification of P. grandiflorum, the protection and utilization of germplasm resources, and molecular breeding.

Identification and expression analysis of cellulose synthase family genes in Aquilaria sinensis / 药学学报

Cellulose synthase (CesA), one of the key enzymes in the biosynthesis of cellulose in plants, plays an important role in plant growth and plant resistance. In this study, a total of 21 AsCesA genes from Aquilaria sinensis were systematically identified and the physico-chemical characteristics were analyzed based on genome database and bioinformatical methods. The phylogenetic tree was constructed and the gene location on chromosome, cis-acting elements in the 2 000 basepairs upstream regulatory regions and conservative motifs were analyzed. The AsCesA proteins were mainly located on the plasma membrane. The number of amino acids of the proteins ranged from 390 to 1 261. The isoelectric point distributed from 5.67 to 8.86. All of the 21 AsCesA proteins possessed the transmembrane domains, the number of which was from 6 to 8. The genes were classified into 3 groups according to the phylogenetic relationship. Obvious differences were observed in motif composition in genes from different groups. However, motif2, motif6, motif7 and motif10 were observed in all of AsCesA proteins. Analysis of cis-acting elements indicated that AsCesA genes family has cis-acting elements related to plant hormones, abiotic stresses, and biological processes. Seven AsCesA genes with differential expression were selected according to the calli transcriptome data induced by NaCl at different times and their expression levels under different abiotic stresses were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR. The results indicated that salt, low temperature, drought, and heavy metal stresses could affect the expression level of AsCesA genes, and the abundance of AsCesA1, AsCesA3 and AsCesA20 showed a significant change, implying their potential important roles to the abiotic stresses. The accumulation pattern of cellulose content under different abiotic stresses was similar to the expression trend of AsCesA genes. Our results provide valuable insights into the role of cellulose synthase in A.sinensis in plant defense.

Cloning, expression analysis and enzyme activity verification of dihydroflavonol 4-reductase from Cistanche tubulosa (Schenk) Wight flower / 药学学报

Dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR) plays an essential role in the biosynthesis of anthocyanin and regulation of plant flower color. Based on the transcriptome data of Cistanche tubulosa (Schenk) Wight, a full-length cDNA sequence of CtDFR gene was cloned by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). CtDFR contains an open reading frame (ORF) of 1 263 bp which encodes 420 amino acids with a predicted molecular weight of 47.5 kDa. The sequence analysis showed that CtDFR contains a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) binding domain and a specific substrate binding domain. The expression analysis indicated that CtDFR was highly expressed in red and purple flowers, and the relative expression levels were 4.04 and 19.37 times higher than those of white flowers, respectively. The recombinant CtDFR protein was expressed in E.coli BL21 (DE3) using vector pET-28a-CtDFR and was purified. In vitro enzyme activity analysis, CtDFR could reduce three types of dihydroflavonols including dihydrokaempferol, dihydroquercetin, and dihydromyricetin to leucopelargonidin, leucocyanidin and leucodelphinidin. Subcellular localization analysis showed that CtDFR was mainly localized in the cytoplasm. These results demonstrate that CtDFR plays an important role in regulation of flower color in C. tubulosa and make a valuable contribution for the further investigation on the regulation mechanism of C. tubulosa (Schenk) Wight flower color.

Screening of specific DNA barcode, identification of germplasm resources, and analysis of genetic diversity of Atractylodes chinenesis / 药学学报

italic>Atractylodes chinensis has important medicinal and economic values. In this study, the chloroplast genome sequences of four A. chinensis samples from different producing areas were sequenced using the Illumina platform. The specific DNA barcodes were screened and the germplasm resources of A. chinensis samples from different producing areas and the genetic diversity of the population were analyzed basing on the specific barcodes. The whole chloroplast genomes of the four A. chinensis samples had a typical cyclic tetrad structure, with 112 genes annotated. The comparative genomics results indicated that ccsA and trnC-GCA_petN were potential specific DNA barcodes for intraspecific identification of A. chinensis. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of ccsA and trnC-GCA_petN was performed on 256 samples from 14 areas in 9 provinces, and the amplification efficiency was 100%. Sequence analysis showed that ccsA and trnC-GCA_petN had 11 and 22 variant positions, which could identify 16 and 22 haplotypes, respectively. The combined sequence analysis identified 39 haplotypes, named Hap1-Hap39, of which the most abundant and widely distributed genotype was Hap9. Haplotype diversity (Hd) = 0.896 and nucleotide diversity (Pi) = 0.002 22 indicated high genetic diversity at the species level in A. chinensis. The genetic distances of the haplotypes were 0.000 00-0.004 88, indicating that there were small genetic differences among the haplotypes. The results of phylogenetic tree analysis showed that 39 haplotypes had very close genetic relationship, and formed two obvious branches with other groups of the same genus except Atractylodes macrocephala. This study plays an important role in the identification of the origin of A. chinensis and the protection and breeding of germplasm resources.

Clinical characteristics of patients with colon complications after necrotizing pancreatitis: a retrospective cohort study / 中华外科杂志

Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics of colon complications in patients with necrotizing pancreatitis(NP). Methods: The clinical data of 403 patients with NP admitted to the Department of General Surgery,Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 2014 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 273 males and 130 females,aged (49.4±15.4) years(range: 18 to 90 years). Among them,there were 199 cases of biliary pancreatitis,110 cases of hyperlipidemic pancreatitis,and 94 cases of pancreatitis caused by other causes. A multidisciplinary diagnosis and treatment model was used to diagnose and treat patients. Depending on whether the patients had colon complications,they were divided into colon complications group and noncolon complications group. Patients with colon complications were treated with anti-infection therapy,parental nutritional support,keeping the drainage tube unobstructed,and terminal ileostomy. The clinical results of the two groups were compared and analyzed using a 1∶1 propensity score match(PSM) method. The t test,χ2 test, or rank-sum test was used to analyze data between groups,respectively. Results: The incidence of colon complications was 13.2%(53/403),including 15 cases of colon obstruction,23 cases of colon fistula,and 21 cases of colon hemorrhage. After PSM,the baseline and clinical characteristics at admission of the two groups of patients were comparable (all P>0.05). In terms of clinical outcome,compared to patients with NP without colon complications,the number of patients with colon complications who received minimally invasive intervention(88.7%(47/53) vs. 69.8%(37/53),χ2=5.736,P=0.030),the number of minimally invasive interventions (M(IQR))(2(2) vs. 1(1), Z=4.638,P=0.034),the number of patients with multiple organ failure(45.3%(24/53) vs. 32.1%(17/53),χ2=4.826,P=0.041),and the number of extrapancreatic infections(79.2%(42/53) vs. 60.4%(32/53),χ2=4.476,P=0.034) increased significantly. The time required for enteral nutrition support(8(30)days vs. 2(10) days, Z=-3.048, P=0.002), parental nutritional support(32(37)days vs. 17(19)days, Z=-2.592, P=0.009),the length of stay in the ICU(24(51)days vs. 18(31)days, Z=-2.268, P=0.002),and the total length of stay (43(52)days vs. 30(40)days, Z=-2.589, P=0.013) were also significantly prolonged. However,mortality rates in the two groups were similar(37.7%(20/53) vs. 34.0%(18/53),χ2=0.164,P=0.840). Conclusions: Colonic complications in NP patients are not rare,which can lead to prolonged hospitalization and increased surgical intervention. Active surgical intervention can help improve the prognosis of these patients.

Specific DNA barcodes, germplasm resources, and genetic diversity of Eleutherococcus senticosus / 中国中药杂志

Eleutherococcus senticosus is one of the Dao-di herbs in northeast China. In this study, the chloroplast genomes of three E. senticosus samples from different genuine producing areas were sequenced and then used for the screening of specific DNA barcodes. The germplasm resources and genetic diversity of E. senticosus were analyzed basing on the specific DNA barcodes. The chloroplast genomes of E. senticosus from different genuine producing areas showed the total length of 156 779-156 781 bp and a typical tetrad structure. Each of the chloroplast genomes carried 132 genes, including 87 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNAs, and 8 rRNAs. The chloroplast genomes were relatively conserved. Sequence analysis of the three chloroplast genomes indicated that atpI, ndhA, ycf1, atpB-rbcL, ndhF-rpl32, petA-psbJ, psbM-psbD, and rps16-psbK can be used as specific DNA barcodes of E. senticosus. In this study, we selected atpI and atpB-rbcL which were 700-800 bp and easy to be amplified for the identification of 184 E. senticosus samples from 13 genuine producing areas. The results demonstrated that 9 and 10 genotypes were identified based on atpI and atpB-rbcL sequences, respectively. Furthermore, the two barcodes identified 23 genotypes which were named H1-H23. The haplotype with the highest proportion and widest distribution was H10, followed by H2. The haplotype diversity and nucleotide diversity were 0.94 and 1.82×10~(-3), respectively, suggesting the high genetic diversity of E. senticosus. The results of the median-joining network analysis showed that the 23 genotypes could be classified into 4 categories. H2 was the oldest haplotype, and it served as the center of the network characterized by starlike radiation, which suggested that population expansion of E. senticosus occurred in the genuine producing areas. This study lays a foundation for the research on the genetic quality and chloroplast genetic engineering of E. senticosus and further research on the genetic mechanism of its population, providing new ideas for studying the genetic evolution of E. senticosus.

Research progress on application of multi-enzyme-catalyzed cascade reactions in enzymatic synthesis of natural products / 中国中药杂志

As a biocatalyst, enzyme has the advantages of high catalytic efficiency, strong reaction selectivity, specific target products, mild reaction conditions, and environmental friendliness, and serves as an important tool for the synthesis of complex organic molecules. With the continuous development of gene sequencing technology, molecular biology, genetic manipulation, and other technologies, the diversity of enzymes increases steadily and the reactions that can be catalyzed are also gradually diversified. In the process of enzyme-catalyzed synthesis, the majority of common enzymatic reactions can be achieved by single enzyme catalysis, while many complex reactions often require the participation of two or more enzymes. Therefore, the combination of multiple enzymes together to construct the multi-enzyme cascade reactions has become a research hotspot in the field of biochemistry. Nowadays, the biosynthetic pathways of more natural products with complex structures have been clarified, and secondary metabolic enzymes with novel catalytic activities have been identified, discovered, and combined in enzymatic synthesis of natural/unnatural molecules with diverse structures. This study summarized a series of examples of multi-enzyme-catalyzed cascades and highlighted the application of cascade catalysis methods in the synthesis of carbohydrates, nucleosides, flavonoids, terpenes, alkaloids, and chiral molecules. Furthermore, the existing problems and solutions of multi-enzyme-catalyzed cascade method were discussed, and the future development direction was prospected.

Current research status and application prospect of numerical simulation in traditional Chinese medicine drying / 中国中药杂志

With the rapid development of computer technology, numerical simulation has gradually become an important method to study drying process and improve drying equipment. Using computer to simulate the drying process of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) is characterized by intuitiveness, scientificity, and low cost, which serves as an auxiliary means for technical innovation in TCM drying. This paper summarizes the theories of different drying methods and the research status of numerical simulation in drying, introduces the modeling methods and software of numerical simulation, and expounds the significance of numerical simulation modeling in shortening the research and development cycle, improving drying equipment, and optimizing drying parameters. However, the current numerical simulation method for drying process has problems, such as low accuracy, lack of quantitative indicators for the control of simulation results on the process, and insufficient in-depth research on the mechanism of drug quality changes. Furthermore, this paper put forward the application prospect of numerical simulation in TCM drying, providing reference for the further study of numerical simulation in this field.

Cloning and subcellular location of the PnMYB1R1 gene from Panax notoginseng and expression analysis with different stresses / 药学学报

MYB transcription factors, one of the largest transcription factor families in plants, play an important role in signal transduction, plant growth and plant resistance. In this study a full-length cDNA of the PnMYB1R1 gene was cloned from Panax notoginseng. Sequence analysis, prokaryotic expression and purification, subcellular location, transcriptional activity analysis, tissue-specific analysis and expression analysis under different abiotic stresses was performed. The open reading frame (ORF) of PnMYB1R gene was 738 bp, encoding a protein of 245 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass (MW) of 27.0 kD. The sequence analysis and polygenetic analysis indicated that the PnMYB1R1 protein contains a conserved R3 domain, belonging to TRF-like protein in 1R-MYB-type transcription factors. The recombinant PnMYB1R1 protein was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) cells using the prokaryotic expression vector pET28a-PnMYB1R1 and was purified. Subcellular localization analysis showed that PnMYB1R1 was localized in the nucleus. Transcriptional activity analysis indicated that the PnMYB1R1 transcription factor has transcriptional activation activity. Expression analysis indicated that PnMYB1R1 was primarily expressed in roots, followed by stems and leaves, and then rootlets. The expression level of PnMYB1R1 in root, stems, leaves and rootlets was influenced by salt, low temperature and drought treatment, while the abundance of PnMYB1R1 was significantly induced by salt stress in these tissues. These results provide valuable insights into the role of 1R-MYB transcription factors in plant defense.

Molecular identification and quality analysis of Rhei Rhizoma based on chloroplast matK gene and UPLC / 药学学报

Rhei Rhizoma is commonly used as a traditional Chinese medicine with multiple botanical origins. Different botanical sources may have different pharmacological activities. The germplasm resources of commercial Rhei Rhizoma were determined based on the chloroplast gene matK, and the anthraquinone and free anthraquinone content was determined by UPLC to analyze quality of commercial Rhei Rhizoma. Eighty-nine commercial Rhei Rhizoma samples were collected from 40 cities in 27 provinces. DNA was extracted and the matK gene was amplified by PCR. Results indicated that the collected samples were from the same botanical origin, Rheum palmatum, and 8 genotypes were identified, including Rp1, Rp2, Rp3, Rp4, Rp5, Rp6, Rp10 and Rp12. Rp4 and Rp6, cultivated in Gansu, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces were the main circulating genotypes, representing 40.45% and 37.08% of the total samples, respectively. Phylogenetic tree analysis showed that the eight genotypes were mainly divided into two branches, of which the main genotypes Rp4 and Rp6 were in one branch. Genetic distance analysis indicated that the genetic separation of the eight genotypes was between 0.001 and 0.010. UPLC analysis indicated that 93.26% of the samples met the Pharmacopoeia standards. There were significant differences in the content of total anthraquinone and free anthraquinone among the samples, in which the difference in free anthraquinone was 1.01% and the difference in total anthraquinone content was 3.79%, indicating that the quality of commercial Rhei Rhizoma samples varies considerably. There was no significant difference in the content of total anthraquinone and free anthraquinone in commercial Rhei Rhizoma among different collection provinces and genotypes. This study will help guide the circulation of Rhei Rhizoma in the market and provides valuable insights for molecular identification and quality analysis of other traditional Chinese medicines.

Application value of imaging examination in the diagnosis of Muller-Weiss disease / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To analyze radiological characteristics of Muller-Weiss disease, evaluate the clinical value of the imaging examination in diagnosis of Muller-Weiss disease.@*METHODS@#The imaging data of 26 patients with Muller-Weiss disease were collected from September 2015 to August 2020, including 7 males and 19 females, aged 43 to 68 years old with an average of (52.7±4.6) years old. In the X-ray examination observed the shape and position of the navicular bone. The talar-first metatarsal angle(TFM) was measured on the weight-bearing anteroposterior radiograph. The arch angle and angle between mid-axis of talus and mid-axis of the first metatarsal(Meary angle) were measured on the weight-bearing lateral radiographs. The morphology, density, adjacent joint space and position of the navicular bone were evaluated by computed tomography(CT), and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) was used to observe the shape, signal, cartilage and surrounding soft tissue changes of the navicular bone.@*RESULTS@#Among 26 patients, 21 cases were unilateral and 5 cases were bilateral;X-ray examination showed that the lateral part of navicular bone of foot was compressed and flattened, showing"comma like"or"drop like", navicular moved to the medial side, partial fragmentation of bone, peripheral articular hyperplasia, uneven density and narrowing of relationship gap. According to Meary angle and deformity degree of the affected foot on the lateral X-ray of the load-bearing foot, Maceira staging was performed. There were 0 cases in stageⅠ, 2 cases in stage Ⅱ, 11 cases in stage Ⅲ, 9 cases in stage Ⅳand 4 cases in stage Ⅴ. CT examination showed bone fragmentation, medial displacement of navicular bone and formation of the talocalcaneal joint. MRI examination showed the irregular shape and uneven signal of navicular bone, narrowing of joint space, talocalcaneal joint surface hyperplasia and cartilage destruction, tarsal joint effusion and swelling of surrounding soft tissue.@*CONCLUSION@#Muller-Weiss disease has specific imaging manifestation, and an accurate diagnosis can be made based on the patient's age, gender, and clinincal history. Preoperative imaging examination can stage the disease, help clinicians to formulate better surgical plans, and postoperative imaging examination can better evaluate the surgical effect.

Identification and quality evaluation of germplasm resources of commercial Scutellaria baicalensis based on DNA barcode and HPLC / 中国中药杂志

Scutellaria baicalensis is a commonly used Chinese medicinal herb. In this study, we identified the germplasm resources of commercial S. baicalensis samples based on trnH-psbA, petA-psbJ, and ycf4-cemA sequences according to the available chloroplast genome sequencing results, and measured the content of baicalin by HPLC. Through the above means we determined the best DNA barcode that can be used to detect the germplasm resources and evaluate the quality of commercial S. baicalensis samples. A total of 104 samples were collected from 24 provinces, from which DNA was extracted for PCR amplification. The amplification efficiencies of trnH-psbA, petA-psbJ, and ycf4-cemA sequences were 100%, 59.62%, and 25.96%, respectively. The results of sequence analysis showed that 5, 4, and 2 haplotypes were identified based on trnH-psbA, petA-psbJ, and ycf4-cemA sequences, respectively. However, the sequences of haplotypes in commercial samples were different from that of the wild type, and the joint analysis of three fragments of S. baicalensis only identified 6 haplotypes. Furthermore, the phylogenetic analysis and genetic distance analysis indicated that trnH-psbA could be used to identify S. baicalensis from adulterants. The above analysis showed that trnH-psbA was the best fragment for identifying the germplasm resources of commercial S. baicalensis samples. We then analyzed the haplotypes(THap1-THap5) of commercial S. baicalensis samples based on trnH-psbA and found that THap2 was the main circulating haplotype of the commercial samples, accounting for 86.55% of the total samples, which indicated the scarce germplasm resources of commercial S. baicalensis samples. The content of baicalin in all the collected commercial S. baicalensis samples exceeded the standard in Chinese Pharmacopoeia and had significant differences(maximum of 12.21%) among samples, suggesting that the quality of commercial S. baicalensis samples varied considerably. However, there was no significant difference in baicalin content between different provinces or between different haplotypes. This study facilitates the establishment of the standard identification system for S. baicalensis, and can guide the commercial circulation and reasonable medication of S. baicalensis.

Analysis of clinical and genetic characteristics of epilepsy associated with chromosome 16p11.2 microdeletion / 中华儿科杂志

Objective: To investigate the clinical and genetic characteristics of epilepsy associated with chromosome 16p11.2 microdeletion. Methods: The patients (n=10) with 16p11.2 microdeletion found in children with epilepsy treated in Beijing Children's Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University from January 2018 to January 2021 were collected. The clinical manifestations, gene variations and prognosis were analyzed retrospectively. Results: A total of 10 children's data were collected, including 5 male and 5 female. The onset age of epilepsy was 4.5 (4.1,5.0) months. Regarding the seizure types, 7 cases had focal seizures with secondary generalization, 2 cases had generalized seizures, and 1 case had tonic seizures and spasms. Nine cases had cluster seizure attacks and 3 cases had status epilepticus. Seven cases had focal or multifocal epileptiform discharges in interictal electroencephalogram (EEG), 3 cases had borderline or normal EEG. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed polymicrogyria in 1 case, paraventricular leukomalacia in 1 case, delayed myelination of white matter in 3 cases, and no obvious abnormalities in the other 5 cases. The patients were followed up for 0.5-3.5 years, with 1-3 kinds of antiepileptic drugs taken orally. The case with polymicrogyria still had seizures, however the other 9 cases had seizures controlled. The age of the last seizure attack was 8 (6, 12) months. There were 6 cases with mental and motor developmental delay before epilepsy onset. During the follow-up, 7 cases were retarded to varying degrees, while 3 cases had normal development. Regarding the genetic detection methods, 7 cases underwent whole exome sequencing, 2 cases underwent whole genome copy number variation detection, and 1 case underwent whole genome sequencing. The length of the 16p11.2 deletion in 10 cases ranged from 525 to 951 kb, and all contained the PRRT2 gene intact. Six cases were de novo variants, 1 case was inherited from the mother who had a history of convulsions in early childhood, and the source of variant was not verified in 3 cases, none of whose parents had relevant phenotype. Conclusions: The epilepsy associated with 16p11.2 microdeletion is mainly induced by the heterozygous deletion of PRRT2 gene in this region, however the phenotype is usually severe, and often combined with developmental and epileptic encephalopathy. Detection of copy number variation should be emphasized in children whose etiology is considered genetic but second-generation sequencing result is negative.

Clinical characteristics and gene analysis of GRIN2B gene related neurological developmental disorders in children / 中华儿科杂志

Objective: To analyse the clinical and gene characteristics of GRIN2B gene related neurological developmental disorders in children. Methods: The data of 11 children with GRIN2B gene related neurological developmental disorders from November 2016 to February 2021 were collected from Department of Neurology, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children's Health and analyzed retrospectively. The clinical features, electroencephalogram (EEG), brain imaging and gene testing results were summarized. Results: Among 11 children 6 were boys and 5 were girls. Two of them were diagnosed with developmental and epileptic encephalopathy. The ages of seizures onset were 3 months and 9 months, respectively. Seizure types included epileptic spasm, tonic seizures, tonic spasm and focal seizures, and 1 patient also had startle attacks. EEG showed interictal multifocal epileptiform discharges. Both of them were added with more than 2 anti-seizure drugs, which were partially effective but could not control. They had moderate to severe mental and motor retardation. The phenotype of 9 cases was developmental delay or intellectual disability without epilepsy, age of visit 1 year to 6 year and 4 months of whom 5 cases had severe developmental delay, 2 cases had moderate and 2 cases had mild delay. Multi-focal epileptiform discharges were observed in 3 cases, no abnormality was found in 3 cases, and the remaining 3 cases did not undergo EEG examination. Ten cases underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), 6 cases had nonspecific abnormalities and 4 cases were normal. Nine GRIN2B gene heterozygous variants were detected by next-generation sequencing in these 11 patients, 8 cases had missense variants and 1 case had nonsense variant, all of which were de novo and 3 of which were novel. Missense variants were found in 10 patients, among them 6 cases had severe developmental delay, 3 cases had moderate and 1 case had mild developmental delay, but the patient with nonsense variant showed mild developmental delay without epilepsy. Conclusions: The phenotypes of GRIN2B gene related neurological developmental disorders in children are diverse, ranging from mild intellectual impairment without epilepsy to severe epileptic encephalopathy. Patients with epileptic phenotype usually have an onset age of infancy, and spasm and focal seizures are the most common seizure types. And the epiletice episodes are refractory. Most of the patients with missense variants had severe developmental delay.

Clinicopathological and therapeutic analysis of Castleman's disease in children / 中华儿科杂志

Objective: To investigate the clinical features, pathological phenotype, treatment and prognosis of Castleman's disease in children. Methods: Clinical data of 15 children diagnosed with Castleman's disease in Henan Provincial People's Hospital and the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from May 2010 to October 2019 were analyzed retrospectively. The clinical characteristics, laboratory examination and histopathological data were analyzed. Results: Among the 15 Castleman's disease patients, 12 were males and 3 females. The age of first visit was 12 (10, 15) years. The time from mass discovery to pathologic diagnosis was 9.0 (2.0, 13.0) months. The majority of patients were unicentric (13 cases), and the histopathological type was hyaline vascular (11 cases). Unicentric lesions were most common in the neck (11 cases), all 13 patients received complete surgical resection of the lesions, the follow-up time was 20.0 (13.5, 50.5) months, and the prognosis was good. Two cases were multicentric type, the pathological types were mixed variant, meeting the criteria of idiopathic Castleman's disease, the two children underwent partial surgical resection, one was treated with rituximab and prednisone and the other was treated with thalidomide and prednisone. The follow-up time was 32 months and 10 month, both of them had good prognosis. Conclusions: Most cases of Castleman's disease in children are diagnosed late, and the unicentric type is dominant. The most common pathological type is hyaline vascular, which is characterized by painless lymphadenopathy, while multicentric type has systemic symptoms and both of them have a good overall prognosis.

Cloning and expression analysis of chalcone isomerase from Aquilaria sinensis / 药学学报

Chalcone isomerases (CHIs) play an essential role in the biosynthesis of flavonoids important in plant self-defense. Based on the transcriptome data of Aquilaria sinensis Calli, a full-length cDNA sequence of CHI1 (termed as AsCHI1) was cloned by reverse transcription PCR. AsCHI1 contains a complete open frame (ORF) of 654 bp. The deduced protein is composed of 217 amino acids, with a predicted molecular weight of 23.11 kDa. The sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis revealed that AsCHI1 has conserved most of the active site residues in type I CHIs, indicating a close relationship with the CHI from Gossypium hirsutum. The recombinant AsCHI1 protein was obtained by heterologous expression of AsCHI1 in E. coli BL21(DE3). The purified AsCHI1 protein exhibited CHI activity by catalyzing the production of naringenin from naringenin chalcone. Remarkably, AsCHI1 expression in A. sinensis Calli treated with various abiotic stresses including salt, mannitol, cold, and heavy metals could be markedly increased, and plant hormones such as abscisic acid (ABA), gibberellin (GA3), and salicylic acid (SA) could also increase the expression of AsCHI1, suggesting that AsCHI1 might play an important role in plant self-defense. The results expand our understanding of the biosynthesis of flavonoids in A. sinensis and give further insight into the defensive responses of A. sinensis to abiotic and biotic stresses.

Clinical effect of tacrolimus in the treatment of myasthenia gravis in children / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the efficacy and safety of tacrolimus in the treatment of children with myasthenia gravis (MG).@*METHODS@#A total of 28 children with MG were treated with tacrolimus. MG-Activities of Daily Living (MG-ADL) scale was used to assess clinical outcome and safety after 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of treatment.@*RESULTS@#After tacrolimus treatment, the MG-ADL score at 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months was lower than that at baseline (P<0.05), and the MG-ADL score showed a gradually decreasing trend. The response rates to tacrolimus treatment at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months were 59%, 81%, 84%, 88%, and 88% respectively. At 6, 9, 12, and 18 months of treatment, 4, 13, 14, and 15 children respectively were withdrawn from prednisone. No recurrence was observed during treatment. Major adverse reactions/events were asymptomatic reduction in blood magnesium in 5 children and positive urine occult blood in 1 child, which turned negative without special treatment, and tacrolimus was not stopped due to such adverse reactions/events. One child was withdrawn from tacrolimus due to recurrent vomiting. According to CYP3A5 genotypes, all of the patients were divided into two groups: slow metabolic type (n=19) and non-slow metabolic type (fast metabolic type + intermediate type; n=9). The non-slow metabolism group received a higher dose of tacrolimus, but had a lower trough concentration of tacrolimus than the slow metabolism group (P<0.05). The slow metabolism group had a higher response rates to tacrolimus treatment than the non-slow metabolism group (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Tacrolimus appears to be effective and safe in the treatment of children with MG and is thus an option for immunosuppressive therapy. CYP3A5 genotyping has a certain guiding significance for determining the dosage of tacrolimus.

Gene cloning, subcellular localization and expression analysis of the AsERF1 gene from Aquilaria sinensis / 药学学报

Ethylene-response factors, which are a subfamily of the AP2/ERF family, play an important role in ethylene signal transduction, plant growth and plant resistant. In this study, a full-length cDNA of the AsERF1 gene was cloned from Aquilaria sinensis. Sequence analysis, prokaryotic expression and purification, subcellular localization, tissue-specific analysis and expression analysis under different abiotic stresses was performed. The open reading frame (ORF) of the AsERF1 gene was 691 bp, encoding a protein of 229 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of 25.36 kD. The AsERF1 protein contained the conserved AP2 sequence of ERF protein. A phylogenetic analysis indicated that the AsERF1 protein showed greatest sequence similarity with ERF2 from Populus trichocarpa. The recombinant AsERF1 protein was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) cells using the prokaryotic expression vector pET28a-AsERF1 and the recombinant AsERF1 protein was purified. Agrobacterium-mediated protein expression experiments demonstrated that AsERF1 mainly localized to the nucleus. Expression analysis indicated that AsERF1 was primarily observed in leaves. The AsERF1 expression level was induced by salt, drought, low temperature and CdCl2 treatment, while the abundance of AsERF1 was most significantly induced by drought stress. These results provide valuable insights into the role of AsERF1 in plant defense and the mechanism of agarwood formation.

Isolation and identification of endophytic fungi from Huperzia serrata and their metabolites' inhibitory activities against acetylcholinesterase and anti-inflammatory activities / 中国中药杂志

A total of 27 endophytic fungal strains were isolated from Huperzia serrata,which were richly distributed in the stems and leaves while less distributed in roots. The 27 strains were identified by Internal Transcribed Spacer( ITS) r DNA molecular method and one of the strains belongs to Basidiomycota phylum,and other 26 stains belong to 26 species,9 general,6 families,5 orders,3 classes of Ascomycota Phylum. The dominant strains were Colletotrichum genus,belonging to Glomerellaceae family,Glomerellales order,Sordariomycetes class,Ascomycota Phylum,with the percentage of 48. 15%. The inhibitory activities of the crude extracts of 27 endophytic fungal strains against acetylcholinesterase( ACh E) and nitric oxide( NO) production were evaluated by Ellman's method and Griess method,respectively. Crude extracts of four fungi exhibited inhibitory activities against ACh E with an IC50 value of 42. 5-62. 4 mg·L~(-1),and some fungi's crude extracts were found to inhibit nitric oxide( NO) production in lipopolysaccharide( LPS)-activated RAW264. 7 macrophage cells with an IC50 value of 2. 2-51. 3 mg·L~(-1),which indicated that these fungi had potential anti-inflammatory activities.The chemical composition of the Et OAc extract of endophytic fungus HS21 was also analyzed by LCMS-IT-TOF. Seventeen compounds including six polyketides,four diphenyl ether derivatives and seven meroterpenoids were putatively identified.

Metabolomic screening for diagnostic biomarkers of drug-induced chronic liver injury related cirrhosis / 药学学报

About 15%-20% of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) will progress to chronic manifestation (CH-DILI), which sometimes advances rapidly to liver cirrhosis (LC-DILI) within 0.5-1 year with deteriorative clinical prognosis. Therefore, it is important to find a non-invasive diagnosis for early detection of liver cirrhosis. In this study, the metabolomic profiles revealed significant differences in the metabolites from the plasma of LC-DILI versus CH-DILI. We found 35 differential metabolites through principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). Through pathway enrichment analysis, some up-regulated metabolic pathways reflected impaired liver functions such as bile acid, lipid synthesis and decomposition during cirrhosis. Five biomarkers were found to exhibit effective diagnosis value (AUC > 0.6), including phosphatidylcholine, lysoPC (18:1 (9Z)), creatine, taurochenodeoxycholic acid and taurocholic acid. Furthermore, we found that the relative content ratio between phosphatidylcholine and lysoPC (18:1 (9Z)) had a better distinguishing ability (AUC = 0.867). The relative content ratio also had the feature to reduce systematic errors of sample processing and instrument detection, therefore having a greater value for clinical application.