Search

The polygrammoids (Polypodiaceae) are the most species‐rich and diversified epiphytic fern lineages, and hold an important role to understand the deep diverging events and rapid adaptation to changing environments in the plant tree of life. Despite progress in the phylogeny of this group of ferns in previous multilocus phylogenetic studies, uncertainty remains especially in backbone relationships among closely related clades, and the phylogenetic placement of recalcitrant species or lineages. Here, we investigated the deep phylogenetic relationships within Polypodiaceae by sampling all major lineages and using 81 plastid genomes (plastomes), of which 70 plastomes were newly sequenced with high‐throughput sequencing technology. Based on parsimony, maximum‐likelihood, Bayesian and multispecies coalescent analyses of genome skimming data, we achieved a better resolution of the backbone phylogeny of Polypodiaceae. Using simulated data matrices, we detected that potential phylogenetic artefacts, such as long‐branch attraction and insufficient taxonomic sampling, may have a confounding impact on the incongruence of phylogenetic inferences. Furthermore, our phylogenetic analyses offer greater resolution than previous multilocus studies, providing a robust framework for future phylogenetic implications on the subfamilial taxonomy of Polypodiaceae. Our phylogenomic study not only demonstrates the advantage of a character‐rich plastome dataset for resolving the recalcitrant lineages that have undergone rapid radiation, but also sheds new light on integrative explorations understanding the evolutionary history of large fern groups in the genomic era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fern genus Lepisorus represents one of the most complicated and controversial lineages in Polypodiaceae, with about 80 species which have been classified into several separate genera, and is notorious for its taxonomic difficulty. Despite progress in recent phylogenetic studies of the family Polypodiaceae involving Lepisorus and its allies, the deep phylogenetic relationship within this group of ferns is still unresolved, and no formal infrageneric classification has been proposed. This contribution presents the most comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of the genus, with 72% species sampled, using a total‐evidence approach based on eight plastid markers and ≤25 morphological characters for each species. The analyses resolve the backbone relationship and yield the most robust phylogenetic framework to date. Congruent with previous studies but with new findings, the results herein show that Lepisorus is monophyletic when Neolepisorus, Lemmaphyllum, Tricholepidium, Neocheiropteris and Lepidomicrosorium are included, as well as Lepisorus jakonensis and Paragramma. Furthermore, 17 well‐resolved clades are found in the phylogenetic topology, which can be characterized by morphological synapomorphies from traits of rhizome scales, laminae, sori and paraphyses. Based on molecular and morphological evidence, a new infrageneric classification system of Lepisorus is proposed which subdivided Lepisorus into 17 sections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lepisorus inaequibasis is thought to be of hybrid origin due to its leaf shape and sporangia being intermediate between those of its putative progenitors. Subsequent molecular studies have supported its hybrid origin, but its progenitors have not been determined. Here, we performed molecular phylogenetic analysis, flow cytometry (FCM), morphological character observation, and ecological niche modelling (ENM) to elucidate the origin of L. inaequibasis. The phylogenetic trees inferred from single‐copy nuclear genes (pgiC and gapCp "short") confirm the hybrid origin of L. inaequibasis from Lepisorus waltonii and Lepisorus jakonensis. Chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) phylogeny indicates that L. jakonensis is the maternal progenitor. All populations of L. inaequibasis share a single cpDNA haplotype identical to the lineage of L. jakonensis in the central Himalayas; thus, we hypothesize that L. inaequibasis originated in the central Himalaya region and dispersed to east Himalaya and Hengduan Mountain regions. Based on FCM, L. inaequibasis is tetraploid, while its progenitors are diploid. Principal component analysis of rhizome scales and observations of sporangial annuli indicated a high degree of morphological similarity between L. inaequibasis and its paternal progenitor species, L. waltonii. The ENM results showed that L. inaequibasis has a relatively high niche identity value with L. waltonii. Therefore, we conclude that L. inaequibasis is an allotetraploid that originated through hybridization between the diploid species L. waltonii and L. jakonensis. This allotetraploid species shows clear paternal bias in both its morphological characters and its ecological niche. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we publish Lepisorus sect. Paragramma (Blume) C.F. Zhao, R. Wei & X.C. Zhang as a combinatio nova to replace the section name in Zhao et al. (2020), which was published as a status nova and turned out to be an invalid name, because we cited an incorrect basionym. A revised infrageneric classification of Lepisorus also is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C1q/tumor necrosis factor-related protein 6 (CTRP6), an adipose-tissue secretory factor, plays an important role in inflammatory reaction and carcinogenesis. However, the biological function of CTRP6 in adipogenesis remains unclear. In this study, we examined the effects of CTRP6 knockdown on lipogenesis of 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The results showed that after 3T3-L1 adipocytes transfected with anti-CTRP6 small interfering RNA (siRNA), not only levels of secreted CTRP6 protein in the culture medium but also the expression level of the CTRP6 protein in the 3T3-L1 adipocytes was significantly reduced ( P < 0.01). In addition, the number of lipid droplets in the adipocytes was reduced, as well as the OD values reflecting the fat content being significantly decreased ( P < 0.01). Meanwhile the levels of adipogenic markers, including peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ (PPARγ), CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein α (C/EBPα), CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein β (C/EBPβ) and adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein 4 (aP2), were decreased after treatment with anti-CTRP6 siRNA, whereas the expression of adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) and triacylglycerol hydrolase (TGH) were increased. Furthermore, after transfection, activity of phosphorylated Erk1/2 (p-Erk1/2) was inhibited in the early stage of differentiation, but in terminal differentiation of adipocytes, its activity was activated. Taken together, the results indicate that knockdown of CTRP6 can inhibit adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 adipocytes through lipogenic marker genes and Erk1/2 signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premise of the study: Microsatellites were designed and characterized in the Sino-Himalayan fern Lepisorus clathratus complex (Polypodiaceae) to further study the phylogeography and reproductive ecology of this species. Methods and Results: From a genomic library obtained by next-generation sequencing, 10 polymorphic and six monomorphic microsatellite loci were developed. In one population of L. clathratus from Taibaishan in central China, the number of alleles observed for these microsatellites ranged from seven to 29, and observed and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.463 to 0.919 and from 0.797 to 0.947, respectively. Cross-amplification in other taxa within this complex was successful, but cross-amplification was poor for other congeneric species. Conclusions: This set of newly developed microsatellite markers will be useful for assessing genetic diversity, population structure, and mating system, and to infer polyploid origin in the L. clathratus complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies have shown that tripartite motif-containing (TRIM) family proteins function as E3 ubiquitin ligases and play essential roles in cancer biology. In the present study, we validated a contribution of TRIM9 to bladder cancer progression. 296 patients derived from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and 22 clinical specimens were included, in which accumulated TRIM9 correlated with the poor prognosis and higher relapse in bladder patients. In vitro, TRIM9 promoted bladder cancer cells Biu-87 and T24 cell proliferation and migration. Meanwhile, overexpression of TRIM9 reduced the chemosensitivity in Biu-87 and T24 to mitomycin C (MMC) and gemcitabine (GEM). As an underlying mechanism, we found that TRIM9 stimulated carcinoembryonic antigen 6 (CEACAM6) upregulation, which further facilitated Smad2/3-matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) signaling activation both in vitro and in vivo. Those results indicated that TRIM9 facilitated bladder cancer development and chemoresistance by CEACAM6-Smad2/3 axis. TRIM9 and its associated molecules could be a potential diagnostic indicator and therapeutic target in bladder cancer., (© 2023. The Author(s).)