Screening and identification of antagonistic actinomycete LA-5 against Botrytis cinerea.

In this study, actinomycetes were isolated from rhizosphere soil of tomato by spread plate method, with the pathogen Botrytis cinerea as the target fungus. An actinomycete isolate LA-5 with strong antifungal activity was obtained by confrontation culture and Oxford cup double screening method. According to cultural characteristics, physiological and biochemical properties and 16S rDNA analysis, the strain LA-5 was primarily identified as Streptomyces chungwhensis.

Investigation of the active components in Tripterygium wilfordii leading to its acute hepatotoxicty and nephrotoxicity.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The traditional herbal medicine Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. f. (TW) has been widely used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmune disease in the clinic.

Effect of interrupted endogenous BMP/Smad signaling on growth and steroidogenesis of porcine granulosa cells.

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) play a critical role in the growth and steroidogenesis of granulosa cells (GCs). BMP signals act through membrane-bound heteromeric serine/threonine kinase receptors. Upon ligand binding, BMPs activate intracellular Smad proteins and regulate growth and apoptosis in various cell types.