Shaoguan University

Phytochemical investigation of roots of Euphorbia ebracteolata Hayata led to ten higher diterpenoids including seven undescribed ones (1-7) and three analogues (8-10), accompanied by four derivatives (7a and 9a-9c) obtained via chemical correlation. Notably, compound 1 represents a rare dinor-ent-isopimarane diterpenoid. Their structures were fully characterized using a combination of spectroscopic, ECD, chemical, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction means. Cytotoxicity screening suggested that the oxidized derivative of 7 (7a) displayed the most potent activity against non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell line HCC827, comparable to the positive control, cisplatin. Mechanistic study revealed that 7a could arrest cell cycle at G1/S phase and induce apoptosis.

A series of structurally diverse polyketides (1–3), sesterterpenoids (24 and 25), and alkaloids (26–34) were isolated from the fermentation of a plant-derived fungus Penicillium canescens L1 on solid rice medium. Among these secondary metabolites, penicanesols A–G (1–7) were new structures, which were elucidated by NMR, HR-ESI-MS, ECD calculation, and X-ray diffraction. Penicanesol A (1) represented a rare dimer derived from phthalan derivatives, characterized by a 5/6/6/6/5 heteropentacyclic core. The bioassay on the NCI-H1975 cell model showed that two compounds had good cytotoxic activities, and the most significant activate compound 13 had an IC50 value of 4.24 ± 0.13 μM, more than the positive control drug (12.99 ± 0.13 μM).Graphical Abstract

HEXOSE TRANSPORTERS (HTs) mediate subcellular sugar transport, critically governing sugar distribution and accumulation in plants. However, studies focusing on the evolutionary pattern and systematic analysis of apple HT family are still sparse. Here, 29 MdHT genes were identified from Malus domestica genome GDDH13 v1.1. We systematically analyzed the evolutionary history of HT families across various plant lineages. These genes map to 9 chromosomes, with notable density on chromosome 13, reflecting expansion via whole-genome duplication (WGD)/segmental duplication and tandem duplication during domestication. RNA-seq analysis revealed divergent tissue-specific expression patterns for MdHTs in mature leaves, stem tips, and fruits. Notably, MdHT14.1 and MdHT14.2 exhibited high expression levels during fruit development, yet MdHT14.2 participated in a more complex co-expression network. Furthermore, transgenic apple calli and heterologous expression in defective yeast mutant demonstrated that MdHT14.2 can transport both glucose and fructose, but docking experiments showed differences with between MdHT14.2 and MdHT14.1 in their abilities to bind glucose. In addition, MdHT14.1 was found to be negatively correlated with cold stress tolerance in transgenic apple calli and tomato plants, potentially linked to increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and diminished ROS scavenging capacity. This study provides new insights into the roles of MdHTs in regulating apple development and responses to cold stress.