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Fragaria nilgerrensis Schlecht. (wild strawberry) is widely distributed in Southwest China, characterized by stress tolerance and the fruits of a notable peach aroma. So far there is only limited knowledge of variability and genetic structure in this species. Using AFLP markers, we investigated the genetic variability of 37 plants of F. nilgerrensis sampled in six main mountain areas of Sichuan Province and analyzed their genetic structure. Genetic similarity according to Nei and Li was used for cluster analysis based on UPGMA method and Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering. Stratification of plants into more distinctive genetic groups was determined using Bayesian structure analysis. Six primer combinations produced a total of 1302 fragments of which 818 (62.8%) were polymorphic. Bayesian analysis showed the 37 plants of F. nilgerrensis grouped into five distinctive genetic groups. Most of the plants from the same mountain area clustered into the same genetic group, indicating each area as an area with the unique genetic profile. The genetic parameters analyzed here indicate a huge genetic variability of F. nilgerrensis in Sichuan Province. Our results provide reference data for surveying and protecting the germplasm resources of F. nilgerrensis that could be used in strawberry breeding programs.

Screening and preliminary identification of high DNMT1 expression-related lncRNA, which is involved in various interrelated signaling pathways, has led to the development of a theoretical basis for various types of disease mechanisms. Differential expression profiles of lncRNA and mRNA were identified in a microarray. Ten lncRNAs with high levels of variation were identified by qRT-PCR. KEGG and GO analyses were used to identify differentially expressed mRNAs. Six signaling pathways were selected based on the KEGG results of the lncRNA-mRNA expression network analysis. From the microarrays in the experimental and control groups, we found a total of 6987 differentially expressed lncRNAs, and 7421 differentially expressed mRNAs were obtained ( P < 0.05 ; fold change > 2.0 x ). GO analysis and KEGG pathway analysis showed high expression of DNMT1 in esophageal epithelial cells. Nine pathways were involved in mRNA upregulation, including natural killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity and many other prominent biochemical pathways. Forty-six pathways were associated with downregulated mRNAs and ribosomes involving multiple biological pathways. Coexpression network analysis showed that 8 mRNAs and 16 lncRNAs were linked to the p53 signaling pathway. In Helicobacter pylori infections, interactions occurred between 22 lncRNAs and 11 mRNAs in the ErbB signaling pathway and between 19 lncRNAs and 8 mRNAs in epithelial cell signal transduction. Interactions were present between 19 lncRNAs and 5 mRNAs in the sphingolipid signaling pathway, along with interactions between 21 lncRNAs and 12 mRNAs in the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. Cytotoxicity interactions occurred between 22 lncRNAs and 9 mRNAs in natural killer cells.

EPB41L3 may play a role as a metastasis suppressor by supporting regular arrangements of actin stress fibres and alleviating the increase in cell motility associated with enhanced metastatic potential. Downregulation of epb41l3 has been observed in many cancers, but the role of this gene in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains unclear. Our study aimed to determine the effect of epb41l3 on ESCC cell migration and invasion. We investigated epb41l3 protein expression in tumour and non-tumour tissues by immunohistochemical staining. Expression in the non-neoplastic human esophageal cell line Het-1a and four ESCC cell lines - Kyse150, Kyse510, Kyse450 and Caes17 - was assessed by quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) and Western blotting. Furthermore, an EPB41L3 overexpression plasmid and EPB41L3-specific small interfering RNA were used to upregulate EPB41L3 expression in Kyse150 cells and to downregulate EPB41L3 expression in Kyse450 cells, respectively. Cell migration and invasion were evaluated by wound healing and transwell assays, respectively. The expression levels of p-AKT, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)2 and MMP9 were evaluated. Expression of epb41l3 was significantly lower in tumour tissues than in non-tumour tissues and in ESCC cell lines compared with the Het-1a cell line. Kyse450 and Caes17 cells exhibited higher expression of epb41l3 than Kyse150 and Kyse510 cells. Overexpressing epb41l3 decreased Kyse150 cell migration and invasion, whereas EPB41L3-specific small interfering RNA silencing increased these functions in Kyse450 cells. Furthermore, overexpressing epb41l3 led to downregulation of MMP2 and MMP9 in Kyse150 and Kyse510 cells. Our findings reveal that EPB41L3 suppresses tumour cell invasion and inhibits MMP2 and MMP9 expression in ESCC cells.

Pyrethroid pesticides, produced and used worldwide, have been reported to impair male reproductive function by reducing sperm count and sperm motility. They are divided into two types: type I pyrethroids including permethrin, etc. and type II pyrethroids including cypermethrin, fenvalerate, cyfluthrin, etc. Our previous study showed that fenvalerate and cypermethrin could reduce sperm motility in vitro. However, it is not clear whether permethrin and 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA, the major metabolite of pyrethroids) affect sperm motility directly or indirectly by affecting spermatogenesis via interaction with androgens and/or their receptors. In this study, rat sperm suspensions were treated respectively with permethrin, cypermethrin and 3-PBA, at various concentrations (0, 1, 4, 16, or 64mmol/L) for various times (1, 2, or 4h). The motility parameters of sperm were analyzed with a computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) system. The differential effects of permethrin and cypermethrin on sperm motility patterns in vitro were also compared. Our study revealed that permethrin and cypermethrin could reduce sperm motility in vitro in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Marked differences between the two pyrethroids were not found in this study. Moreover, 3-PBA did not reduce sperm motility directly at all concentrations and treatment periods. These results provide further evidence that permethrin and cypermethrin can directly affect mature rat sperm motility.

Tandem repeats (TRs) are associated with dis-ease genes, play an important role in evolution and are important in genomic organization and function. Much research has been done on de-scriptions of properties of tandem repeats, such as copy-number, period, etc, and correlation be-tween mutations within tandem repeats and dis-ease. This project aims to detect some differ-ences which may exist within the features of dif-ferent tandem repeats associated with disease in human whole-genome. The features of tandem repeats associated with diabetes genes were compared to the counterparts of non-diabetes disease genes.

A method for somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration from immature nucellus (30–40 days old after pollination) of Mangifera persiciforma C.Y. Wu & T.L. Ming has been developed. Browning and necrosis of the nucellar explants were effectively controlled by pre-treating in an antioxidant solution and by pre-culturing in liquid medium in a constant temperature shaker. The explants were cultured for 2 weeks in the dark at 23 ± 2°C on induction medium and then moved to the light for 4 weeks at 25 ± 2°C Pro-embryonic masses have gradually been generated from the explants. The pro-embryogenic masses were subcultured on appropriate proliferation medium in the light for 5 weeks at 25 ± 2°C, secondary embryogenesis and organogenesis was observed. Entire plantlets have been produced. Plantlets developed in 3-4 weeks, were acclimatized and transplanted to the greenhouse. Morphogenic competence was sustained for more than one year.Key words: Mangifera persiciform, nucellus, browning, pro-embryogenic masses, somatic embryogenesis, organogenesis.

Arabidopsis thaliana WRKY28, which is strongly induced by H2O2 stress, is one of the group II WRKY proteins and responds to Botrytis cinerea. In this study, we successfully generated up and down-regulating WRKY28 transgenic A. thaliana lines. Our investigationinto the action of WRKY28 demonstrated that the down-regulation of WRKY28 resulted in susceptible of plants. The enhanced susceptible in down-regulating plants was associated with the suppression of jasmonate (JA) and ethylene (ET) regulated PDF1.2gene by the necrotrophic fungal pathogen B. cinerea. In contrast, disease resistance and the expressions of JA and ET regulated PDF1.2 genes are slightly enhanced in WRKY28 over-expressing plants. Thus, pathogen-induced WRKY28 transcription factor plays a key role in JA and ET mediated defense responses to B. cinerea. These results provide a genetic evidence of WRKY28 in plant defense. Key words: Transcription factor, Botrytis cinerea, necrotroph fungus.

Concanavalin A (ConA), a mannose/glucose-binding legume lectin, has been reported to induce tumor cell death via a mitochondria-mediated autophagic pathway; however, the precise mechanism by which induces cell death remains to be discovered. In this study, we simulated the three-dimensional structure of ConA monomer, its dimer, and tetramer forms and reported its molecular dynamics simulations and phylogenetic analysis. Subsequently, we showed that ConA possessed remarkable antiproliferative effects on HepG2 cells. Further data showed that there was a link among its hemagglutinating, sugar-binding, and antiproliferative activities. In addition, we found that ConA induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells. Then, we demonstrated that the treatment of ConA caused mitochondrial transmembrane potential (MMP) collapse, cytochrome c release, and activation of caspase. In conclusion, we demonstrate that there is a positive correlation between carbohydrate-binding activity and antiproliferative activity of ConA. In addition, we confirm that ConA induces HepG2 cell death through a mitochondrial apoptotic pathway.