A re-examination of the circumscription of Saxifraga mengtzeana (Saxifragaceae).

In the Flora of China account of Saxifraga mengtzeana Engl. & Irmsch., eight synonyms were attributed to it and one variant, recognized as Saxifraga epiphylla Gornall & Ohba, was split from it. This study reevaluates the taxonomic status of some of the synonyms and of the segregated species in light of new evidence presented here. Morphological and molecular evidence demonstrate that collections from northwestern Yunnan and Sichuan are genetically differentiated from those in southeastern Yunnan and neighboring Guangxi. Observations in the field and in cultivation show that the peltate petiole attachment diagnostic of S. mengtzeana var. peltifolia Engl. & Irmsch. is developmentally labile. Similar observations combined with molecular data show that viviparous phenotypes, formerly treated as S. epiphylla, although largely under genetic control, occur sporadically throughout the ranges of both northern and southern taxa. Collections from northwestern Yunnan and Sichuan are best recognized as Saxifraga geifolia Balf.f., whereas those from southeastern Yunnan and neighboring Guangxi are S. mengtzeana. Peltate-leaved variants of the latter are given no status and are relegated to complete synonymy. Viviparous phenotypes of S. mengtzeana and S. geifolia are recognized at the rank of forma.

Chloroplast phylogenomics and the taxonomy of Saxifraga section Ciliatae (Saxifragaceae).

Comprising ca. 200 species, Saxifraga sect. Ciliatae is the most species-rich section of Saxifraga s.str., whose center of diversity is in the Tibeto-Himalayan region. The infra-sectional classification of sect. Ciliatae is still in debate due to the high level of species richness, as well as remarkable variations of habitat, morphology, physiology and life cycles. Subdivisions of this section proposed in various taxonomic systems have not been adequately tested in previous phylogenetic studies, partly due to low taxonomic sampling density, but also to the use of few DNA markers. In order to achieve a more robust infra-sectional classification of sect. Ciliatae, complete chloroplast genomes of 94 taxa from this section were analyzed, of which 93 were newly sequenced, assembled and annotated. The length of the 94 plastomes of sect. Ciliatae taxa range from 143,479 to 159,938 bp, encoding 75 to 79 unique protein-coding genes (PCGs). Analyses of the 94 plastomes revealed high conservation in structural organization, gene arrangement, and gene content. Gene loss and changes of IR boundaries were detected but in extremely low frequency. The molecular phylogenetic tree from concatenated PCGs and complete chloroplast genome sequences exhibited high resolution and support values and confirms that sect. Ciliatae is monophyletic. Three well-supported clades were revealed within the section that agree relatively well with the subsectional taxonomy of Gornall (1987), but some minor modifications should be made. Firstly, the monotypic subsection Cinerascentes should be abandoned and its constituent species, S. cinerascens, assigned to subsect. Gemmiparae. Secondly, subsections Rosulares and Serpyllifoliae should be merged and become subsect. Rosulares. Section Ciliatae thus comprises: subsect. Hirculoideae Engl. & Irmsch.; subsect. Rosulares Gornall; subsect. Gemmiparae Engl. & Irmsch.; subsect. Flagellares (C. B. Clarke) Engl. & Irmsch. and subsect. Hemisphaericae (Engl. & Irmsch.) Gornall.

ALDH2 gene rs671 G > a polymorphism and the risk of colorectal cancer: A hospital-based study.

BACKGROUND: The susceptibility to some cancers is linked to genetic factors, such as aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) polymorphisms. The relationship between ALDH2 rs671 and colorectal cancer (CRC) is not clear in Hakka population. METHODS: Between October 2015 and December 2020, a total of 178 CRC patients and 261 controls were recruited. ALDH2 rs671 was genotyped in these subjects, medical records (smoking history, drinking history and blood cell parameters) were collected, and the relationship between these information and CRC was analyzed. RESULTS: The proportion of the ALDH2 rs671 G/G, G/A, and A/A genotype was 48.3%, 44.4%, and 7.3% in patients; 62.1%, 34.1%, and 3.8% in controls, respectively. The difference of ALDH2 genotypes distribution between cases and controls was statistically significant (p = 0.011). The higher percentage of smokers and alcoholics, higher level of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet count, and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and lower level of lymphocyte count, lymphocyte to monocyte ratio (LMR), and mean hemoglobin concentration were observed in patients. Logistic regression analysis indicated that ALDH2 rs671 G/A genotype (G/A vs. G/G) (adjusted OR 1.801, 95% CI 1.160-2.794, p = 0.009) and A/A genotype (A/A vs. G/G) (adjusted OR 2.630, 95% CI 1.041-6.645, p = 0.041) in the co-dominant model, while G/A + A/A genotypes (G/A + A/A vs. G/G) (adjusted OR 1.883, 95% CI 1.230-2.881, p = 0.004) in the dominant model were risk factors for CRC. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals carrying ALDH2 rs671 A allele (G/A, A/A genotypes) may be at increased risk of colorectal cancer.

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) methyltransferase WTAP accelerates the Warburg effect of gastric cancer through regulating HK2 stability.

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is one of the most abundant messenger RNAs modification. Increasing evidence illustrates its critical role on gastric cancer. Here, present research focuses on the potential function of m6A methyltransferase Wilms' tumour 1-associated protein (WTAP) in gastric cancer tumorigenesis. Firstly, m6A immunoprecipitation sequencing analysis (MeRIP-Seq) analysis demonstrated the m6A profile in gastric cancer cells. Both WTAP and the m6A expression were up-regulated in gastric cancer tissue and cells. The high-expression of WTAP was closely correlated with poor prognosis of gastric cancer patients. Functional experiments illustrated that WTAP promoted the proliferation and glycolytic capacity (glucose uptake, lactate production and extracellular acidification rate) in vitro, and the knockdown of WTAP suppressed the tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, HK2 was identified to be the target of WTAP using MeRIP-Seq and MeRIP-qPCR. WTAP enhanced the stability of HK2 mRNA through binding with the 3'-UTR m6A site. In conclusion, our results demonstrate the oncogenic role of WTAP and its m6A-mediated regulation on gastric cancer Warburg effect, providing a novel approach and therapeutic target in gastric cancer.