As a prominent epigenetic modification, cytosine methylation may play a critical role in the adaptation of plants to different environments. The present study sought to investigate possible impacts of differential levels of nitrogen (N) supply on cytosine-methylation levels of a clonal plant, Hierochloe glabra Trin. (Poaceae). For this purpose, nitrate was applied at concentrations of 0, 0.15, 0.30 and 0.45 g N kg–1 soil, and ecologically important morphological traits were measured. The methylation-sensitive amplification polymorphism method was also conducted to analyse the variations in DNA cytosine methylation. Our results showed that N addition reduced CHG cytosine-methylation levels markedly compared with control plants growing in homogeneous pots (P = 0.026). No substantial differences were observed in morphological traits at the end of the growing stage, except for the highest ratio of leaf area to leaf dry mass in the medium-N patch (P = 0.008). However, significant linear regression relationships were found between cytosine-methylation levels and morphological traits, such as bud number and rhizome length and biomass. In conclusion, the higher cytosine-methylation level may activate asexual reproduction to produce more offspring and expand plant populations, possibly helping clonal plants to adapt to heterogeneous habitats.
An increasing number of studies have indicated that the dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs/miR) is closely associated with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) development and progression by acting as tumor suppressors or oncogenes. Therefore, an in-depth understanding of the biological roles of miRNAs in NSCLC may provide novel therapeutic methods for the treatment of patients with this disease. In the present study, reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to detect miR-577 expression in NSCLC tissues and cell lines. Cell Counting Kit-8 and Transwell invasion assays were performed to determine the effects of miR-577 on NSCLC cell proliferation and invasion. Luciferase reporter assays were used to demonstrate the relationship between miR-577 and homeobox A1 (HOXA1) in NSCLC cells. The results revealed that miR-577 was markedly downregulated in NSCLC tissues and cell lines. Additionally, restoration of miR-577 expression significantly decreased the proliferation and invasion of NSCLC cells. Furthermore, miR-577 negatively regulated HOXA1 expression in NSCLC cells by directly binding to its 3'-untranslated region. HOXA1 was significantly upregulated in NSCLC tissues, and its upregulation was inversely correlated with miR-577. Notably, restored HOXA1 expression abrogated the reduced proliferation and invasion of NSCLC cells caused by miR-577 overexpression. Taken together, these results indicated that miR-577 may have served tumor suppressive roles in NSCLC by directly targeting HOXA1. Therefore, this miRNA may be developed as a potential therapeutic target for the therapy of patients with NSCLC.
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