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Background The aberrant expression of HER2 is highly associated with tumour occurrence and metastasis, therefore HER2 is extensively targeted for tumour immunotherapy. For example, trastuzumab and pertuzumab are FDA-approved monoclonal antibodies that target HER2-positive tumour cells. Despite their advances in clinical applications, emerging resistance to these two HER2-targeting antibodies has hindered their further application. Somatic mutations in HER2 receptor have been identified as one of the major reasons for resistance to anti-HER2 antibodies. Methods We analysed the frequency of somatic mutations in various tumour types based on TCGA and COSMIC databases. Then, the effect of the most frequent mutation (S310F) on the interaction between pertuzumab and HER2 was analysed by molecular modelling analysis. The effect of the S310F mutation was further evaluated through multiple in vitro binding experiments and antitumour activity assays. Results We found through bioinformatics analysis that S310F, an activating mutation in the HER2 extracellular domain, was the most frequent mutation in HER2. The S310F mutation was shown to confer resistance of HER2-positive tumour cells to pertuzumab treatment. With molecular modelling analysis, we confirmed the possibility that the S310F mutation might disrupt the interaction between pertuzumab and HER2 as a result of a significant change in the critical residue S310. Further functional analyses revealed that the S310F mutation completely abolished pertuzumab binding to HER2 receptor and inhibited pertuzumab antitumour efficacy. Conclusion We demonstrated the loss-of-function mechanism underlying pertuzumab resistance in HER2-positive tumour cells bearing the S310F mutation.

The complete chloroplast genome of Tetradoxa omeiensis, which is endemic and endangered to the Hengduan Mountains, was sequenced and characterized in this study. The chloroplast genome is 157,502 bp in length, and it is consisted of four distinct regions: a large single-copy region (LSC, 86,526 bp), a small single-copy region (SSC, 18,682 bp) and a pair of inverted repeat regions (IRs, 26,147 bp). A total of 134 genes were annotated, including 86 protein-coding genes (80 PCG species), 40 tRNA genes (33 tRNA species) and 8 ribosomal RNA genes (4 rRNA species). We also reconstructed a comprehensive phylogenetic relationship of the family Adoxaceae, which demonstrated that the three Adoxaceae species clustered into two well-supported clades, and T. omeiensis is most closely related to the Adoxa moschatellina.

Casuarina glauca, commonly known as swamp oak, belongs to Casuarinaceae. Herein, we reported the complete chloroplast genome of C. glauca. To our knowledge, this is the first reported complete chlo...

Mimosa pudica, a typical sensitive plant, belongs to Mimosa (Fabaceae). It is well known for the rapid plant movement. In this study, we determined the complete chloroplast genome of M. pudica using the Illumina reads. The complete chloroplast genome of M. pudica is 163,237 bp in length, comprising a large single-copy region (LSC) of 92,045 bp, a small single-copy region (SSC) of 18,786 bp, and a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) of 26,203 bp each. The genome contained 129 encoded genes in total, including 84 protein-coding genes, eight ribosomal RNA genes, and 37 transfer RNA genes. The overall GC content of the M. pudica chloroplast genome is 35.53%. We reconstructed the phylogenetic relationships for 19 mimosoid species. It was revealed that M. pudica was closely related to Piptadenia communis.

In this study, we determined the complete chloroplast genome of Cycas szechuanensis (Cycadaceae, Cycas) using the Illumina sequencing data. The genome is 162,083 bp in length, including a pair of i...

Antiaris toxicaria (Antiaris, Moraceae) is a medicinal and extremely toxic species. To facilitate species identification and provide genetic information, we determined the complete chloroplast genome of A. toxicaria using the Illumina platform. The genome was 161,412 bp in length, comprising a large single-copy region (LSC) of 89,883 bp, a small single-copy region (SSC) of 20,375 bp, and a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) of 25,577 bp each. The genome contained 130 encoded genes in total, including 85 protein-coding genes, 8 ribosomal RNA genes, and 37 transfer RNA genes. The overall GC content of the A. toxicaria chloroplast genome is 35.87%. The phylogenetic analysis revealed A. toxicaria was closely related to the genus Ficus within the family Moraceae.