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Neupane A, Chariker JH, Rouchka EC. Analysis of Nucleotide Variations in Human G-Quadruplex Forming Regions Associated with Disease States. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:2125. [PMID: 38136947 PMCID: PMC10742762 DOI: 10.3390/genes14122125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
While the role of G quadruplex (G4) structures has been identified in cancers and metabolic disorders, single nucleotide variations (SNVs) and their effect on G4s in disease contexts have not been extensively studied. The COSMIC and CLINVAR databases were used to detect SNVs present in G4s to identify sequence level changes and their effect on the alteration of the G4 secondary structure. A total of 37,515 G4 SNVs in the COSMIC database and 2378 in CLINVAR were identified. Of those, 7236 COSMIC (19.3%) and 457 (19%) of the CLINVAR variants result in G4 loss, while 2728 (COSMIC) and 129 (CLINVAR) SNVs gain a G4 structure. The remaining variants potentially affect the folding energy without affecting the presence of a G4. Analysis of mutational patterns in the G4 structure shows a higher selective pressure (3-fold) in the coding region on the template strand compared to the reverse strand. At the same time, an equal proportion of SNVs were observed among intronic, promoter, and enhancer regions across strands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aryan Neupane
- School of Graduate and Interdisciplinary Studies, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA;
| | - Julia H. Chariker
- Department of Neuroscience Training, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA;
- Kentucky IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (KY INBRE) Bioinformatics Core, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA
| | - Eric C. Rouchka
- Kentucky IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (KY INBRE) Bioinformatics Core, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA
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Romano F, Di Porzio A, Iaccarino N, Riccardi G, Di Lorenzo R, Laneri S, Pagano B, Amato J, Randazzo A. G-quadruplexes in cancer-related gene promoters: from identification to therapeutic targeting. Expert Opin Ther Pat 2023; 33:745-773. [PMID: 37855085 DOI: 10.1080/13543776.2023.2271168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Guanine-rich DNA sequences can fold into four-stranded noncanonical secondary structures called G-quadruplexes (G4s) which are widely distributed in functional regions of the human genome, such as telomeres and gene promoter regions. Compelling evidence suggests their involvement in key genome functions such as gene expression and genome stability. Notably, the abundance of G4-forming sequences near transcription start sites suggests their potential involvement in regulating oncogenes. AREAS COVERED This review provides an overview of current knowledge on G4s in human oncogene promoters. The most representative G4-binding ligands have also been documented. The objective of this work is to present a comprehensive overview of the most promising targets for the development of novel and highly specific anticancer drugs capable of selectively impacting the expression of individual or a limited number of genes. EXPERT OPINION Modulation of G4 formation by specific ligands has been proposed as a powerful new tool to treat cancer through the control of oncogene expression. Actually, most of G4-binding small molecules seem to simultaneously target a range of gene promoter G4s, potentially influencing several critical driver genes in cancer, thus producing significant therapeutic benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Romano
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Anna Di Porzio
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Nunzia Iaccarino
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | | | | | - Sonia Laneri
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Bruno Pagano
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Jussara Amato
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Antonio Randazzo
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
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Roy A, Basu D, Bose D, Dutta A, Dastidar SG, Chatterjee S. Identification and characterization of a flexile G-quadruplex in the distal promoter region of stemness gene REX1. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 231:123263. [PMID: 36649868 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.123263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
We have identified a parallel G-quadruplex (R1WT) in the distal promoter region (-821 base-pairs upstream of the TSS) of the pluripotent gene REX1. Through biophysical and biochemical approach, we have characterized the G-quadruplex (GQ) as a potential molecular switch that may control REX1 promoter activity to determine the transcriptional fate. Small- molecule interactive study of the monomeric form of R1WT (characterized as R1mut2) with TMPyP4 and BRACO-19 revealed GQ destabilization upon interaction with TMPyP4 and stabilization upon interaction with BRACO-19. This distinctive drug interactivity suggests the in cellulo R1WT to be a promising drug target. The endogenous existence of R1WT was confirmed by BG4 antibody derived chromatin immunoprecipitation experiment. Here in, we also report the endogenous interaction of GQ specific transcription factors (TFs) with R1WT region in the human chromatin of cancer cell. The wild-type G-quadruplex was found to interact with four important transcription factors, (i) specificity protein (Sp1) (ii) non-metastatic cell 2 (NM23-H2): a diphosphatase (iii) cellular nucleic acid binding protein (CNBP) and (iv) heterogenous nuclear ribonucleoprotein K (hnRNPK) in the REX1 promoter. In contrast, nucleolin protein (NCL) binding was found to be low to the said G-quadruplex. The flexibility of R1WT between folded and unfolded states, obtained from experimental and computational analysis strongly suggests R1WT to be an important gene regulatory element in the genome. It controls promoter DNA relaxation with the coordinated interaction of transcription factors, the deregulation of which seeds stemness characteristic in cancer cells for further metastatic progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ananya Roy
- Department of Biophysics, Bose Institute, EN-80 Sector V, Salt Lake, Unified Campus, Kolkata 700091, India
| | - Debadrita Basu
- Department of Bioinformatics, Bose Institute, EN-80 Sector V, Salt Lake, Unified Campus, Kolkata 700091, India
| | - Debopriya Bose
- Department of Biophysics, Bose Institute, EN-80 Sector V, Salt Lake, Unified Campus, Kolkata 700091, India
| | - Anindya Dutta
- Department of Biophysics, Bose Institute, EN-80 Sector V, Salt Lake, Unified Campus, Kolkata 700091, India
| | - Shubhra Ghosh Dastidar
- Department of Bioinformatics, Bose Institute, EN-80 Sector V, Salt Lake, Unified Campus, Kolkata 700091, India
| | - Subhrangsu Chatterjee
- Department of Biophysics, Bose Institute, EN-80 Sector V, Salt Lake, Unified Campus, Kolkata 700091, India.
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Neupane A, Chariker JH, Rouchka EC. Structural and Functional Classification of G-Quadruplex Families within the Human Genome. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:genes14030645. [PMID: 36980918 PMCID: PMC10048163 DOI: 10.3390/genes14030645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
G-quadruplexes (G4s) are short secondary DNA structures located throughout genomic DNA and transcribed RNA. Although G4 structures have been shown to form in vivo, no current search tools that examine these structures based on previously identified G-quadruplexes and filter them based on similar sequence, structure, and thermodynamic properties are known to exist. We present a framework for clustering G-quadruplex sequences into families using the CD-HIT, MeShClust, and DNACLUST methods along with a combination of Starcode and BLAST. Utilizing this framework to filter and annotate clusters, 95 families of G-quadruplex sequences were identified within the human genome. Profiles for each family were created using hidden Markov models to allow for the identification of additional family members and generate homology probability scores. The thermodynamic folding energy properties, functional annotation of genes associated with the sequences, scores from different prediction algorithms, and transcription factor binding motifs within a family were used to annotate and compare the diversity within and across clusters. The resulting set of G-quadruplex families can be used to further understand how different regions of the genome are regulated by factors targeting specific structures common to members of a specific cluster.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aryan Neupane
- School of Graduate and Interdisciplinary Studies, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA
| | - Julia H. Chariker
- Department of Neuroscience Training, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA
- Kentucky IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (KY INBRE) Bioinformatics Core, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA
| | - Eric C. Rouchka
- Kentucky IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (KY INBRE) Bioinformatics Core, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-(502)-852-3060
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Marilovtseva EV, Studitsky VM. Guanine Quadruplexes in Cell Nucleus Metabolism. Mol Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1134/s0026893321040075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Abstract
Many of the immunoglobulin superfamily (IgSF) molecules play pivotal roles in cell communication. The Sidekick (Sdk) gene, first described in Drosophila, encodes the single-pass transmembrane protein, Sdk, which is one of the largest among IgSF membrane proteins. Sdk first appeared in multicellular animals during the Precambrian age and later evolved to Sdk1 and Sdk2 in vertebrates by gene duplication. In flies, a single Sdk is involved in positioning photoreceptor neurons and their axons in the visual system and is responsible for dynamically rearranging cell shapes by strictly populating tricellular adherens junctions in epithelia. In vertebrates, Sdk1 and Sdk2 are expressed by unique sets of cell types and distinctively participate in the formation and/or maintenance of neural circuits in the retina, indicating that they are determinants of synaptic specificity. These functions are mediated by specific homophilic binding of their ectodomains and by intracellular association with PDZ scaffold proteins. Recent human genetic studies as well as animal experiments implicate that Sdk genes may influence various neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders, such as autism spectrum disorders, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, addiction, and depression. The gigantic Sdk1 gene is susceptible to erratic gene rearrangements or mutations in both somatic and germ-line cells, potentially contributing to neurological disorders and some types of cancers. This review summarizes what is known about the structure and roles of Sdks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahito Yamagata
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
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Naseem M, Asif M, Khadim MT, Ud-Din H, Jamal S, Shoaib I. The Frequency of Double Expresser in Selected Cases of High Grade Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphomas. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 2020; 21:1103-1107. [PMID: 32334477 PMCID: PMC7445973 DOI: 10.31557/apjcp.2020.21.4.1103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL) are fast-growing non-Hodgkin lymphomas that affect B-lymphocytes. Double expressor DLBCL is the concomitant expression of Myc and Bcl-2 proteins during lymphomas which results in poor prognosis of patients. This study aimed to determine the frequency of double expresser in high grade diffuse large B-cell lymphomas. Materials and Methods : The study was conducted on 74 cases (54 males (68.4%) and 20 females (25.3%)) of DLBCL between August 2018 to January 2019. The mean age of the 74 patients was 51.7 years + 18.5. Expression of proteins c-Myc, Bcl-2 and Bcl-6 were evaluated by immunohistochemistry. The involvement of primary lymph node was reported in 38 cases (51.3%) whereas, extra nodal site was observed in 22 cases (29.7%). Among the primary sites, the cervical lymph node enlargement was the most frequent site of presentation. Results: The rearrangement pattern was studied among 74 patients, 35 (47%) were found to have either one of the rearrangements i.e. Myc, Bcl-2, or Bcl-6. On the other hand, 14 (18.9%) had shown double rearrangements i.e. Bcl-2 and c-Myc (11 cases) and Bcl-6 and c-Myc (3 cases). The Bcl-2 and Bcl-6 rearrangements were demonstrated by 12 cases whereas 2 cases (2.7%) indicated all three types of rearrangements i.e. c-Myc, Bcl-2, and Bcl-6. In 11 cases the Bcl-2 and c-Myc rearrangements were found to be Bcl-2 > 50% and c-Myc > 40% and demonstrating the overall frequency of double expressers as 14.8%. The prognosis of the mentioned cases was extremely poor, median survival of 10 months. Conclusion: The concurrent expression of Bcl-2 and c-Myc was found to be 14% (level of expression for Bcl-2 > 50% and c-Myc > 40%) which is potentially a significant health burden and an emerging threat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Naseem
- Department of Histopathology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Asif
- Department of Histopathology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Tahir Khadim
- Department of Histopathology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
| | - Hafeez Ud-Din
- Department of Histopathology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
| | - Shahid Jamal
- Department of Histopathology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
| | - Iman Shoaib
- Department of Forensic Medical Sciences, Molecular Pathology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
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Muench D, Rezzoug F, Thomas SD, Xiao J, Islam A, Miller DM, Sedoris KC. Quadruplex-forming oligonucleotide targeted to the VEGF promoter inhibits growth of non-small cell lung cancer cells. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0211046. [PMID: 30682194 PMCID: PMC6347295 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0211046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is commonly overexpressed in a variety of tumor types including lung cancer. As a key regulator of angiogenesis, it promotes tumor survival, growth, and metastasis through the activation of the downstream protein kinase B (AKT) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK 1/2) activation. The VEGF promoter contains a 36 bp guanine-rich sequence (VEGFq) which is capable of forming quadruplex (four-stranded) DNA. This sequence has been implicated in the down-regulation of both basal and inducible VEGF expression and represents an ideal target for inhibition of VEGF expression. RESULTS Our experiments demonstrate sequence-specific interaction between a G-rich quadruplex-forming oligonucleotide encoding a portion of the VEGFq sequence and its double stranded target sequence, suggesting that this G-rich oligonucleotide binds specifically to its complementary C-rich sequence in the genomic VEGF promoter by strand invasion. We show that treatment of A549 non-small lung cancer cells (NSCLC) with this oligonucleotide results in decreased VEGF expression and growth inhibition. The VEGFq oligonucleotide inhibits proliferation and invasion by decreasing VEGF mRNA/protein expression and subsequent ERK 1/2 and AKT activation. Furthermore, the VEGFq oligonucleotide is abundantly taken into cells, localized in the cytoplasm/nucleus, inherently stable in serum and intracellularly, and has no effect on non-transformed cells. Suppression of VEGF expression induces cytoplasmic accumulation of autophagic vacuoles and increased expression of LC3B, suggesting that VEGFq may induce autophagic cell death. CONCLUSION Our data strongly suggest that the G-rich VEGFq oligonucleotide binds specifically to the C-rich strand of the genomic VEGF promoter, via strand invasion, stabilizing the quadruplex structure formed by the genomic G-rich sequence, resulting in transcriptional inhibition. Strand invading oligonucleotides represent a new approach to specifically inhibit VEGF expression that avoids many of the problems which have plagued the therapeutic use of oligonucleotides. This is a novel approach to specific inhibition of gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Muench
- Department of Immunobiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Francine Rezzoug
- James Graham Brown Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, United States of America
| | - Shelia D. Thomas
- James Graham Brown Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, United States of America
| | - Jingjing Xiao
- James Graham Brown Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, United States of America
| | - Ashraful Islam
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia
| | - Donald M. Miller
- James Graham Brown Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Kara C. Sedoris
- Department of Physiology, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, United States of America
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Zaytseva O, Quinn LM. DNA Conformation Regulates Gene Expression: The MYC Promoter and Beyond. Bioessays 2018; 40:e1700235. [PMID: 29504137 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201700235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2017] [Revised: 01/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Emerging evidence suggests that DNA topology plays an instructive role in cell fate control through regulation of gene expression. Transcription produces torsional stress, and the resultant supercoiling of the DNA molecule generates an array of secondary structures. In turn, local DNA architecture is harnessed by the cell, acting within sensory feedback mechanisms to mediate transcriptional output. MYC is a potent oncogene, which is upregulated in the majority of cancers; thus numerous studies have focused on detailed understanding of its regulation. Dissection of regulatory regions within the MYC promoter provided the first hint that intimate feedback between DNA topology and associated DNA remodeling proteins is critical for moderating transcription. As evidence of such regulation is also found in the context of many other genes, here we expand on the prototypical example of the MYC promoter, and also explore DNA architecture in a genome-wide context as a global mechanism of transcriptional control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Zaytseva
- ACRF Department of Cancer Biology and Therapeutics, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, ACT 2600, Canberra City, Australia.,School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Melbourne, 3010, Parkville, Australia
| | - Leonie M Quinn
- ACRF Department of Cancer Biology and Therapeutics, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, ACT 2600, Canberra City, Australia.,School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Melbourne, 3010, Parkville, Australia
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Qin QP, Wang SL, Tan MX, Wang ZF, Huang XL, Wei QM, Shi BB, Zou BQ, Liang H. Synthesis and antitumor mechanisms of two novel platinum(ii) complexes with 3-(2′-benzimidazolyl)-7-methoxycoumarin. Metallomics 2018; 10:1160-1169. [DOI: 10.1039/c8mt00125a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Pt2 is a novel telomerase inhibitor binding to c-myc promoter elements, which arrests the cell cycle at the G2/M phase and induces apoptosis and causes mitochondrial dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi-Pin Qin
- Guangxi Key Lab of Agricultural Resources Chemistry and Biotechnology
- College of Chemistry and Food Science
- Yulin Normal University
- Yulin 537000
- P. R. China
| | - Shu-Long Wang
- Guangxi Key Lab of Agricultural Resources Chemistry and Biotechnology
- College of Chemistry and Food Science
- Yulin Normal University
- Yulin 537000
- P. R. China
| | - Ming-Xiong Tan
- Guangxi Key Lab of Agricultural Resources Chemistry and Biotechnology
- College of Chemistry and Food Science
- Yulin Normal University
- Yulin 537000
- P. R. China
| | - Zhen-Feng Wang
- Guangxi Key Lab of Agricultural Resources Chemistry and Biotechnology
- College of Chemistry and Food Science
- Yulin Normal University
- Yulin 537000
- P. R. China
| | - Xiao-Ling Huang
- Guangxi Key Lab of Agricultural Resources Chemistry and Biotechnology
- College of Chemistry and Food Science
- Yulin Normal University
- Yulin 537000
- P. R. China
| | - Qing-Min Wei
- Guangxi Key Lab of Agricultural Resources Chemistry and Biotechnology
- College of Chemistry and Food Science
- Yulin Normal University
- Yulin 537000
- P. R. China
| | - Bei-Bei Shi
- Guangxi Key Lab of Agricultural Resources Chemistry and Biotechnology
- College of Chemistry and Food Science
- Yulin Normal University
- Yulin 537000
- P. R. China
| | - Bi-Qun Zou
- State Key Laboratory for the Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources
- School of Chemistry and Pharmacy
- Guangxi Normal University
- Guilin 541004
- P. R. China
| | - Hong Liang
- State Key Laboratory for the Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources
- School of Chemistry and Pharmacy
- Guangxi Normal University
- Guilin 541004
- P. R. China
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