ABSTRACT
Cassytha is the sole genus of hemiparasitic vines (ca. 20 spp.) belonging to the Cassytheae tribe of the Lauraceae family. It is extensively distributed in tropical and subtropical regions. In this study, we determined the complete plastid genome sequences of C. filiformis and C. larsenii, which do not possess the typical quadripartite structure. The length of C. filiformis plastomes ranged from 114,215 to 114,618 bp, whereas that of C. larsenii plastomes ranged from 114,900 to 114,988 bp. Comparative genomic analysis revealed 1,013 mutation sites, four large intragenomic deletions, and five highly variable regions in the eight plastome sequences. Phylogenetic analyses based on 61 complete plastomes of Laurales species, 19 ITS sequences, and trnK barcodes from 91 individuals of Cassytha spp. confirmed a non-basal group comprising individuals of C. filiformis, C. larsenii, and C. pubescens in the family Lauraceae and proposed a sister relationship between C. filiformis and C. larsenii. Further morphological comparisons indicated that the presence or absence of hairs on the haustoria and the shape or size of fruits were useful traits for differentiating C. filiformis and C. larsenii.
ABSTRACT
Cisplatin is one of the most frequently used chemotherapeutic agents for treatment of a wide range of cancer types. Nevertheless, the intrinsic or acquired resistance to cisplatin remains a major obstacle for cancer therapy. There are a number of factors contributing to the onset of this phenotype resistance. Signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3) is constitutively activated in many cancer types, and such hyperactivation is associated with a poor clinical prognosis. In addition, STAT3 inhibitors have shown the ability to enhance the anti-tumor efficacy of cisplatin. In this review, we summarized the current knowledge of the STAT3 pathway in cancer treatment and its contribution to cisplatin resistance. Moreover, this review focuses on targeting STAT3 inhibition to overcome cisplatin resistance.
