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Liquiritin (LQ), a kind of flavonoid isolated from licorice, was proven to have great potential in treating heart failure. Pharmacokinetic evaluation is important for demonstrating clinical efficacy and mechanisms, and the prototype drug and its metabolite profiling are important for drug discovery and development. However, the metabolism of LQ in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) model rats still needs to be studied in depth. An information‐dependent acquisition (IDA)‐ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC‐MS/MS) method was applied to profile LQ metabolites in AMI model rat plasma. Protein precipitation and extraction were used for sample preparation. Chromatographic separation was achieved using an XSelect BEH C18 column (2.1 × 150 mm, 2.5 μm) using gradient elution method combining 0.1% formic acid and acetonitrile with a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. Twelve metabolites were identified in IDA mode, sulfation, glucuronidation, methylation, methyl esterification, glutamine conjugation, and valine conjugation, and their composite reactions were presumed as the primary pathways of LQ metabolism. The variation in the peak areas showed that the time to reach the peak drug concentration of LQ and 12 metabolites was within 5 h. In summary, IDA‐bridged UHPLC‐MS/MS from characteristic fragment ions toward confidence‐enhanced identification could effectively screen and profile metabolites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) active materials have attracted widespread attention because of their potential applications. Nonetheless, it is still a great challenge to fabricate CPL materials with both high fluorescence quantum efficiency (Φ) and high luminescent asymmetry factor (glum). According to the unique structure characteristics of chiral layered metal–organic frameworks (CLMOFs), herein a novel strategy to construct high‐performance CPL materials, by utilizing the confinement effect of CLMOFs is developed. Conjugate dye molecules, such as fluorescent brighteners, fluorescein, and rhodamine B, which are readily subjected to aggregation‐caused quenching (ACQ) effect, are successfully intercalated into CLMOF matrix, affording blue, yellow–green, and red CPL, respectively. Both high Φ and glum values of up to 91% and 0.069 are obtained, owing to the distinct confinement effect of CLMOFs. After confining dye molecules within CLMOF, the ACQ effect is effectively inhibited, which is beneficial for fluorescence enhancement; simultaneously, the chirality transfer from CLMOF matrix to dyes by controlling their arrangement in the chiral confinement microenvironment, leading to the high glum values. Based on the full‐color and strong CPL, a multi‐dimensional code system is proposed. This work paves a new avenue to design and assemble CPL materials with high Φ and glum, which can be widely adopted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: Ling‐Gui‐Zhu‐Gan decoction (LGZGD), one of the 100 herbal classic formulas, is clinically used to treat chronic heart failure with remarkable curative effect. However, LGZGD pharmacokinetic parameters in pathological model rats are poorly understood, in particular for special components. As physicochemical properties are specific to each representative component, no standard sample preparation is available for absolute quantification of representative components of LGZGD in rat plasma. Methods: A specific, sensitive and high‐throughput ultrahigh‐performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC/MS/MS) method capturing 24 representative components was developed and applied to evaluate the pharmacokinetic parameters of LGZGD in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) rat plasma after intragastric administration (2.4, 4.8 and 9.6 g/kg). Precipitation and extraction were selected and optimized for plasma preparation, and isopropanol precipitation could offer higher recovery and broader coverage. Results: It was expected that AMI could cause less absorption and slower elimination of most of active components of LGZGD. Most of newly reported special components absorbed quickly and eliminated slowly. The average elimination half‐life of the 24 representative components was 10.09 h, which is consistent with the dosage of LGZGD (twice daily). Conclusions: The specificity, linearity, precision and accuracy, recovery, matrix effect and stability were validated according to Food and Drug Administration guidance. The validation results demonstrated that the method could be applied to evaluate the pharmacokinetic parameters of LGZGD in AMI rats. The pharmacokinetic parameters showed substantial improvement in quality research of LGZGD, thereby laying the groundwork for preclinical and clinical trials in chronic heart failure clinical efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evolutionary convergence is one of the most striking examples of adaptation driven by natural selection. However, genomic evidence for convergent adaptation to extreme environments remains scarce. Here, we assembled reference genomes of two alpine plants, Saussurea obvallata (Asteraceae) and Rheum alexandrae (Polygonaceae), with 37,938 and 61,463 annotated protein‐coding genes. By integrating an additional five alpine genomes, we elucidated genomic convergence underlying high‐altitude adaptation in alpine plants. Our results detected convergent contractions of disease‐resistance genes in alpine genomes, which might be an energy‐saving strategy for surviving in hostile environments with only a few pathogens present. We identified signatures of positive selection on a set of genes involved in reproduction and respiration (e.g., MMD1, NBS1, and HPR), and revealed signatures of molecular convergence on genes involved in self‐incompatibility, cell wall modification, DNA repair and stress resistance, which may underlie adaptation to extreme cold, high ultraviolet radiation and hypoxia environments. Incorporating transcriptomic data, we further demonstrated that genes associated with cuticular wax and flavonoid biosynthetic pathways exhibit higher expression levels in leafy bracts, shedding light on the genetic mechanisms of the adaptive "greenhouse" morphology. Our integrative data provide novel insights into convergent evolution at a high‐taxonomic level, aiding in a deep understanding of genetic adaptation to complex environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The phytohormones abscisic acid (ABA) and gibberellic acid (GA) antagonistically control the shift between seed dormancy and its alleviation. DELAY OF GERMINATION1 (DOG1) is a critical regulator that determines the intensity of primary seed dormancy, but its underlying regulatory mechanism is unclear.In this study, we combined physiological, biochemical, and genetic approaches to reveal that a bHLH transcriptional factor WRKY36 progressively silenced DOG1 expression to break seed dormancy through ABI5‐BINDING PROTEIN 2 (AFP2) as the negative regulator of ABA signal.AFP2 interacted with WRKY36, which recognizes the W‐BOX in the DOG1 promoter to suppress its expression; Overexpressing WRKY36 broke primary seed dormancy, whereas wrky36 mutants showed strong primary seed dormancy. In addition, AFP2 recruited the transcriptional corepressor TOPLESS‐RELATED PROTEIN2 (TPR2) to reduce histone acetylation at the DOG1 locus, ultimately mediating WRKY36‐dependent inhibition of DOG1 expression to break primary seed dormancy.Our result proposes that the WRKY36‐AFP2‐TPR2 module progressively silences DOG1 expression epigenetically, thereby fine‐tuning primary seed dormancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: The moss Physcomitrium patens is crucial for studying plant development and evolution. Although the P. patens genome includes genes acquired from bacteria, fungi and viruses, the functions and evolutionary significance of these acquired genes remain largely unclear. Killer protein 4 (KP4) is a toxin secreted by the phytopathogenic fungus Ustilago maydis that inhibits the growth of sensitive target strains by blocking their calcium uptake. Here, we show that KP4 genes in mosses were acquired from fungi through at least three independent events of horizontal gene transfer. Two paralogous copies of KP4 (PpKP4‐1 and PpKP4‐2) exist in P. patens. Knockout mutants ppkp4‐1 and ppkp4‐2 showed cell death at the protonemal stage, and ppkp4‐2 also exhibited defects in tip growth. We provide experimental evidence indicating that PpKP4‐1/2 affects P. patens protonemal cell development by mediating cytoplasmic calcium and that KP4 genes are functionally conserved between P. patens and fungi. The present study provides additional insights into the role of horizontal gene transfer in land plant development and evolution. Significance Statement: Plants are intimately associated with fungi. However, it remains largely unclear how fungi may have affected the biology of plant partners through genetic integration (e.g. horizontal gene transfer) following organismal interaction. In the present study, we show that KP4 genes in mosses were acquired from fungi through at least three independent horizontal gene transfer events and that the acquired KP4 genes affect the protonemal development of mosses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Light and ambient high temperature (HT) have opposite effects on seed germination. Light induces seed germination through activating the photoreceptor phytochrome B (phyB), resulting in the stabilization of the transcription factor HFR1, which in turn sequesters the suppressor PIF1. HT suppresses seed germination and triggers protein S‐nitrosylation. Here, we find that HT suppresses seed germination by inducing the S‐nitrosylation of HFR1 at C164, resulting in its degradation, the release of PIF1, and the activation of PIF1‐targeted SOMNUS (SOM) expression to alter gibberellin (GA) and abscisic acid (ABA) metabolism. Active phyB (phyBY276H) antagonizes HFR1 S‐nitrosylation and degradation by increasing S‐nitrosoglutathione reductase (GSNOR) activity. In line with this, substituting cysteine‐164 of HFR1 with serine (HFR1C164S) abolishes the S‐nitrosylation of HFR1 and decreases the HT‐induced degradation of HFR1. Taken together, our study suggests that HT and phyB antagonistically modulate the S‐nitrosylation level of HFR1 to coordinate seed germination, and provides the possibility to enhance seed thermotolerance through gene‐editing of HFR1. Synopsis: High temperature and photoreceptor phytochrome B antagonistically modulate the S‐nitrosylation level of HFR1 to coordinate seed germination. High temperature (HT) stimulates the S‐nitrosylation of HFR1 at C164 and its degradation, thereby releasing PIF1 to induce SOMNUS (SOM) expression and seed dormancy. Active phyB antagonizes HT‐induced S‐nitrosylation and degradation of HFR1 by increasing S‐nitrosoglutathione reductase (GSNOR) activity. Substituting cysteine‐164 of HFR1 with serine (HFR1C164S) abolishes the HT‐induced S‐nitrosylation of HFR1 and decreases its degradation, ultimately suppressing SOM expression to enhance seed thermotolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to figure out the methylation of long non‐coding RNA GAS5 promoter in cervical cancer and the mechanism of GAS5 on the progression of cervical cancer cells. The expression of GAS5 and methylation state of GAS5 in cervical cancer tissues and cells were determined. With the aim to to explore the ability of GAS5 in the proliferation, cell cycle progression, apoptosis, invasion, migration as well as the tumor growth, and metastasis in nude mice were determined. The expression of GAS5 was decreased and methylation state of GAS5 was elevated in cervical cancer. Overexpression of GAS5 inhibited proliferation, cell cycle progression, invasion, migration while inducing apoptosis of cervical cancer cells as well as suppressed tumor growth and metastasis in nude mice. Our study demonstrates that abnormal methylation of GAS5 contributes to poor expression of GAS5 in cervical cancer. In addition, upregulation of GAS5 inhibits the cervical cancer development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A major event in land plant evolution is the origin of vascular tissues, which ensure the long-distance transport of water, nutrients and organic compounds. However, the molecular basis for the origin and evolution of plant vascular tissues remains largely unknown., Here, we investigate the evolution of the land plant TAL-type transaldolase ( TAL) gene and its potential function in rice ( Oryza sativa) based on phylogenetic analyses and transgenic experiments, respectively., TAL genes are only present in land plants and bacteria. Phylogenetic analyses suggest that land plant TAL genes are derived from Actinobacteria through an ancient horizontal gene transfer (HGT) event. Further evidence reveals that land plant TAL genes have undergone positive selection and gained several introns following its acquisition by the most recent common ancestor of land plants. Transgenic plant experiments show that rice TAL is specifically expressed in vascular tissues and that knockdown of TAL expression leads to changes in both the number and pattern of vascular bundles., Our findings show that the ancient HGT of TAL from bacteria probably plays an important role in plant vascular development and adaptation to land environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The significance of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in eukaryotic evolution remains controversial. Although many eukaryotic genes are of bacterial origin, they are often interpreted as being derived from mitochondria or plastids. Because of their fixed gene pool and gene loss, however, mitochondria and plastids alone cannot adequately explain the presence of all, or even the majority, of bacterial genes in eukaryotes. Available data indicate that no insurmountable barrier to HGT exists, even in complex multicellular eukaryotes. In addition, the discovery of both recent and ancient HGT events in all major eukaryotic groups suggests that HGT has been a regular occurrence throughout the history of eukaryotic evolution. A model of HGT is proposed that suggests both unicellular and early developmental stages as likely entry points for foreign genes into multicellular eukaryotes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) may not only create genome mosaicism, but also introduce evolutionary novelties to recipient organisms. HGT in plastid genomes, though relatively rare, still exists. HGT-derived genes are particularly common in unicellular photosynthetic eukaryotes and they also occur in multicellular plants. In particular, ancient HGT events occurring during the early evolution of primary photosynthetic eukaryotes were probably frequent. There is clear evidence that anciently acquired genes played an important role in the establishment of primary plastids and in the transition of plants from aquatic to terrestrial environments. Although algal genes have often been used to infer historical plastids in plastid-lacking eukaryotes, reliable approaches are needed to distinguish endosymbionts-derived genes from those independently acquired from preferential feeding or other activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The origin of new genes is critical for organisms adapting to new niches. Here, we present evidence for a recent de novo origin of at least 13 protein-coding genes in the genome of Plasmodium vivax. Although recently de novo originated genes have often been suggested to be initially intronless, five of the genes identified in our analysis contain introns in their coding regions. Further investigations revealed that these introns likely evolved from previously intergenic regions together with the coding sequences. We discuss the potential mechanisms for intron formation in these genes and propose that intronization be considered in the formation of de novo originated genes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) may not only create genome mosaicism, but also introduce evolutionary novelties to recipient organisms. HGT in plastid genomes, though relatively rare, still exists. HGT‐derived genes are particularly common in unicellular photosynthetic eukaryotes and they also occur in multicellular plants. In particular, ancient HGT events occurring during the early evolution of primary photosynthetic eukaryotes were probably frequent. There is clear evidence that anciently acquired genes played an important role in the establishment of primary plastids and in the transition of plants from aquatic to terrestrial environments. Although algal genes have often been used to infer historical plastids in plastid‐lacking eukaryotes, reliable approaches are needed to distinguish endosymbionts‐derived genes from those independently acquired from preferential feeding or other activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]