Recent progress in molecular mechanisms of postoperative recurrence and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatectomy is currently considered the most effective option for treating patients with early and intermediate hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Unfortunately, the postoperative prognosis of patients with HCC remains unsatisfactory, predominantly because of high postoperative metastasis and recurrence rates. Therefore, research on the molecular mechanisms of postoperative HCC metastasis and recurrence will help develop effective intervention measures to prevent or delay HCC metastasis and recurrence and to improve the long-term survival of HCC patients. Herein, we review the latest research progress on the molecular mechanisms underlying postoperative HCC metastasis and recurrence to lay a foundation for improving the understanding of HCC metastasis and recurrence and for developing more precise prevention and intervention strategies.

Dissection of three quantitative trait loci for grain size on the long arm of chromosome 10 in rice (Oryza sativa L.).

BACKGROUND: Thousand grain weight is a key component of grain yield in rice, and a trait closely related to grain length (GL) and grain width (GW) that are important traits for grain quality. Causal genes for 16 quantitative trait loci (QTL) affecting these traits have been cloned, but more QTL remain to be characterized for establishing a genetic regulating network. A QTL controlling grain size in rice, qGS10, was previously mapped in the interval RM6100-RM228 on chromosome 10. This study aimed to delimitate this QTL to a more precise location. METHOD: A total of 12 populations were used. The ZC9 population comprised 203 S 1:2 families derived from a residual heterozygous (RH) plant in the F 9 generation of the indica rice cross Teqing (TQ)/IRBB52, segregating the upper region of RM6100-RM228 and three more regions on chromosomes 1, 9, and 11. The Ti52-1 population comprised 171 S 1 plants derived from one RH plant in F 7 of TQ/IRBB52, segregating a single interval that was in the lower portion of RM6100-RM228. The other ten populations were all derived from Ti52-1, including five S 1 populations with sequential segregating regions covering the target region and five near isogenic line (NIL) populations maintaining the same segregating pattern. QTL analysis for 1,000-grain weight, GL, and GW was performed using QTL IciMapping and SAS procedure GLM. RESULT: Three QTL were separated in the original qGS10 region. The qGL10.1 was located in the upper region RM6704-RM3773, shown to affect GL only. The qGS10.1 was located within a 207.1-kb interval flanked by InDel markers Te20811 and Te21018, having a stable and relatively high effect on all the three traits analyzed. The qGS10.2 was located within a 1.2-Mb interval flanked by simple sequence repeat markers RM3123 and RM6673. This QTL also affected all the three traits but the effect was inconsistent across different experiments. QTL for grain size were also detected in all the other three segregating regions. CONCLUSION: Three QTL for grain size that were tightly linked on the long arm of chromosome 10 of rice were separated using NIL populations with sequential segregating regions. One of them, qGS10.1, had a stable and relatively high effect on grain weight, GL, and GW, providing a good candidate for gene cloning. Another QTL, qGS10.2, had a significant effect on all the three traits but the effect was inconsistent across different experiments, providing an example of genotype-by-environmental interaction.

Role of the receptor tyrosine kinase Axl in hepatocellular carcinoma and its clinical relevance.

The receptor tyrosine kinase Axl and its ligand Gas6 regulate fundamental biological processes, including cell proliferation, survival and motility, through multiple downstream signaling pathways. Evidence to date suggests that aberrant Axl expression frequently occurs in many malignancies, including hepatocellular carcinoma, and that this is critical for promoting cell proliferation, migration, angiogenesis and metastasis. Moreover, deregulated Axl expression or activation is reportedly associated with resistance to cancer drugs and targeted cancer therapies. Thus, Axl inhibitors may represent a novel therapeutic approach for cancer treatment. This Review summarizes the latest advances concerning the biological role of Axl in hepatocellular carcinoma and its potential clinical relevance.

PGL3 is required for chlorophyll synthesis and impacts leaf senescence in rice.

Rice leaf color mutants play a great role in research about the formation and development of chloroplasts and the genetic mechanism of the chlorophyll (Chl) metabolism pathway. pgl3 is a rice leaf color mutant derived from Xiushui11 (Oryza sativa L. spp. japonica), treated with ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS). The mutant exhibited a pale-green leaf (pgl) phenotype throughout the whole development as well as reduced grain quality. Map-based cloning of PGL3 revealed that it encodes the chloroplast signal recognition particle 43 kDa protein (cpSRP43). PGL3 affected the Chl synthesis by regulating the expression levels of the Chl synthesis-associated genes. Considerable reactive oxygen species were accumulated in the leaves of pgl3, and the transcription levels of its scavenging genes were down-regulated, indicating that pgl3 can accelerate senescence. In addition, high temperatures could inhibit the plant's growth and facilitate the process of senescence in pgl3.

Long non-coding RNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma: Potential roles and clinical implications.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a subgroup of non-coding RNA transcripts greater than 200 nucleotides in length with little or no protein-coding potential. Emerging evidence indicates that lncRNAs may play important regulatory roles in the pathogenesis and progression of human cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Certain lncRNAs may be used as diagnostic or prognostic markers for HCC, a serious malignancy with increasing morbidity and high mortality rates worldwide. Therefore, elucidating the functional roles of lncRNAs in tumors can contribute to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of HCC and may help in developing novel therapeutic targets. In this review, we summarize the recent progress regarding the functional roles of lncRNAs in HCC and explore their clinical implications as diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers and molecular therapeutic targets for HCC.

Genetic alterations in hepatocellular carcinoma: An update.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Although recent advances in therapeutic approaches for treating HCC have improved the prognoses of patients with HCC, this cancer is still associated with a poor survival rate mainly due to late diagnosis. Therefore, a diagnosis must be made sufficiently early to perform curative and effective treatments. There is a need for a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the initiation and progression of HCC because these mechanisms are critical for making early diagnoses and developing novel therapeutic strategies. Over the past decade, much progress has been made in elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying hepatocarcinogenesis. In particular, recent advances in next-generation sequencing technologies have revealed numerous genetic alterations, including recurrently mutated genes and dysregulated signaling pathways in HCC. A better understanding of the genetic alterations in HCC could contribute to identifying potential driver mutations and discovering novel therapeutic targets in the future. In this article, we summarize the current advances in research on the genetic alterations, including genomic instability, single-nucleotide polymorphisms, somatic mutations and deregulated signaling pathways, implicated in the initiation and progression of HCC. We also attempt to elucidate some of the genetic mechanisms that contribute to making early diagnoses of and developing molecularly targeted therapies for HCC.

Latest developments in precancerous lesions of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocarcinogenesis in human chronic liver diseases is a multi-step process in which hepatic precancerous lesions progress into early hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and progressed HCC, and the close surveillance and treatment of these lesions will help improve the survival rates of patients with HCC. The rapid development and extensive application of imaging technology have facilitated the discovery of nodular lesions of ambiguous significance, such as dysplastic nodules. Further investigations showed that these nodules may be hepatic precancerous lesions, and they often appear in patients with liver cirrhosis. Although the morphology of these nodules is not sufficient to support a diagnosis of malignant tumor, these nodules are closely correlated with the occurrence of HCC, as indicated by long-term follow-up studies. In recent years, the rapid development and wide application of pathology, molecular genetics and imaging technology have elucidated the characteristics of precancerous lesions. Based on our extensive review of the relevant literature, this article focuses on evidence indicating that high-grade dysplastic nodules are more likely to transform into HCC than low-grade dysplastic nodules based on clinical, pathological, molecular genetic and radiological assessments. In addition, evidence supporting the precancerous nature of large cell change in hepatitis B virus-related HCC is discussed.

Management of hepatocellular carcinoma: Predictive value of immunohistochemical markers for postoperative survival.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for over 90% of all primary liver cancers. With an ever increasing incidence trend year by year, it has become the third most common cause of death from cancer worldwide. Hepatic resection is generally considered to be one of the most effective therapies for HCC patients, however, there is a high risk of recurrence in postoperative HCC. In clinical practice, there exists an urgent need for valid prognostic markers to identify patients with prognosis, hence the importance of studies on prognostic markers in improving the prediction of HCC prognosis. This review focuses on the most promising immunohistochemical prognostic markers in predicting the postoperative survival of HCC patients.

[Simulation study on behaviors of sediment phosphorus affected by iron ion].

A simulation study has been done that vertical transport of conduct of phosphorus in sediment affected by iron inorganic salt. The results showed: when 10 mL or 50 mL of 1 mol/L FeCl3 solution were added to the simulation system respectively, phosphorus content in sediments was reduced, however, 30 mL of 1 mol/L FeCl3 solution was added, phosphorus content of sediments increased. Appropriate quantum iron inorganic salt will prevent phosphorus in sediment released to the water, otherwise, iron ion quantum added is too high or too low, to a certain extent, will promote the release of phosphorus in the sediments. The results of the study will help further study on the release of the source of phosphorus and lake eutrophication.