Background: Artemisinin is a sesquiterpene lactone compound with a special peroxide bridge that is tightly linked to the cytotoxicity involved in fighting malaria and cancer. Artemisinin and its derivatives (ARTs) are considered to be potential anticancer drugs that promote cancer cell apoptosis, induce cell cycle arrest and autophagy, inhibit cancer cell invasion and migration. Additionally, ARTs significantly increase intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cancer cells, which results in ferroptosis, a new form of cell death, depending on the ferritin concentration. Ferroptosis is regarded as a cancer suppressor and is considered a new mechanism for cancer therapy. Methods: The anticancer activities of ARTs and reference molecules were compared by literature search and analysis. The latest research progress on ferroptosis was described, with a special focus on the molecular mechanism of artemisinin-induced ferroptosis. Results: Artemisinin derivatives, artemisinin-derived dimers, hybrids and artemisinin-transferrin conjugates, could significantly improve anticancer activity, and their IC50 values are lower than those of reference molecules such as doxorubicin and paclitaxel. The biological activities of linkers in dimers and hybrids are an important consideration in the drug design processes. ARTs induce ferroptosis mainly by triggering intracellular ROS production, promoting the lysosomal degradation of ferritin and regulating the System Xc-/Gpx4 axis. Interestingly, ARTs also stimulate the feedback inhibition pathway. Conclusion: Artemisinin and its derivatives could be used in the future as cancer therapies with broader application due to their induction of ferroptosis. Meanwhile, more attention should be paid to the development of novel artemisinin-related drugs based on the mechanism of artemisinin-induced ferroptosis.

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Superoxide dismutases (SODs) play an important role in protecting plants against ROS toxicity induced by biotic and abiotic stress. Recent studies have shown that the SOD gene family is involved in plant growth and development; however, knowledge of the SOD gene family in tobacco is still limited. In the present study, the SOD gene family was systematically characterized in the tobacco genome. Based on the conserved motif and phylogenetic tree, 15 NtSOD genes were identified and classified into three subgroups, including 5 NtCSDs, 7 NtFSDs and 3 NtMSDs. The predicted results of the transport peptide or signal peptide were consistent with their subcellular localization. Most NtSOD genes showed relatively well-maintained exon-intron and motif structures in the same subgroup. An analysis of cis-acting elements in SOD gene promoters showed that NtSOD expression was regulated by plant hormones, defense and stress responses, and light. In addition, multiple transcription factors and miRNAs are predicted to be involved in the regulation of NtSOD gene expression. The qPCR results indicated specific spatial and temporal expression patterns of the NtSOD gene family in different tissues and developmental stages, and this gene family played an important role in protecting against heavy metal stress. The results of functional complementation tests in the yeast mutant suggested that NtCSD1a, NtFSD1e and NtMSD1b scavenge ROS produced by heavy metal stress. This study represents the first genome-wide analysis of the NtSOD gene family, which lays a foundation for a better understanding of the function of the NtSOD gene family and improving the tolerance of plants to heavy metal toxicity.

Mineral nutrition plays an important role in crop growth, yield and quality. MiR156 is a regulatory hub for growth and development. To date, the understanding of miR156-mediated mineral homeostasis is limited. In this study, we overexpressed Nta-miR156a in the tobacco cultivar TN90 and analyzed the effects of miR156 on mineral element homeostasis in tobacco by comparative transcriptome analysis. The results showed that the overexpression of miR156a caused significant morphological changes in transgenic tobacco. Chlorophyll and three anti-resistance markers, proline, total phenolics, and total flavonoids, were altered due to increased miR156 expression levels. Interestingly, the distribution of Cu, Mn, Zn, and Fe in different tissues of transgenic tobacco was disordered compared with that of the wild type. Comparative transcriptome analysis showed that the overexpression of miR156 resulted in 2656 significantly differentially expressed genes. The expression levels of several metal-transport-related genes, such as NtABC, NtZIP, NtHMA, and NtCAX, were significantly increased or decreased in transgenic tobacco. These results suggest that miR156 plays an essential role in regulating mineral homeostasis. Our study provides a new perspective for the further study of mineral nutrient homeostasis in plants.