Large-scale mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) D-loop sequences data from previous studies were investigated to obtain genetic information which contributes to a better understanding of the genetic diversity and history of modern sheep. In this study, we analyzed mtDNA D-loop sequences of 963 individuals from 16 Chinese indigenous breeds that distributed seven geographic regions. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all three previously defined haplogroups A, B, and C were found in all breeds among different regions except in Southwest China mountainous region, which had only the A and B haplogroups. The weak phylogeographic structure was observed among Chinese indigenous sheep breeds distribution regions and this could be attributable to long-term strong gene flow among regions induced by the human migration, commercial trade, and extensive transport of sheep. The estimation of demographic parameters from mismatch analyses showed that haplogroups A and B had at least one demographic expansion of indigenous sheep in China.
China is abundant of sheep genetic resources. A total of 55 sequences containing the Ovis aries mtDNA D: -loop of three large-fat-tailed sheep breeds, named Lanzhou, Tong, and Han were retrieved from GenBank to investigate their genetic diversity, origin, and phylogenetic evolution. The results showed that the sheep breeds in our study proved to be extremely diverse, the average haplotype diversity and nucleotide diversity were 0.987 ± 0.006 and 0.03956 ± 0.00206, respectively. The 55 sequences gave 39 different haplotypes. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that there were three distinct mtDNA haplogroups: A, B, and C, in which haplogroup A was predominant and had experienced population expansion events. Clustering analysis showed that the large-fat-tailed sheep breeds clustered into one group and were closely related to the Mongolian sheep and then European mouflon sheep (Ovis musimon). The results contribute to the knowledge of Chinese sheep breeds and the plan of conservation programs on large-fat-tailed sheep.
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the most common cancer types, with a high annual incidence. Although chemotherapy contributes to suppressing OSCC tumorigenesis, the available treatments result in poor prognosis because of local recurrence and regional lymph node metastasis. Thus, it is necessary to discover novel and safe drugs with greater effectiveness and fewer side effects. Fucoidan is a component of the cell wall of brown seaweed that has been shown to produce a wide range of biological activities. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of fucoidan in treating OSCC. In in vitro studies, we found that fucoidan inhibited OSCC growth and suppressed migration and invasion of OSCC cells. In addition, the potential interaction between fucoidan and filamin A (FLNA)–derived circular RNA (circFLNA) was predicted using bioinformatics databases and then confirmed in OSCC samples and cell lines. Indeed, fucoidan increased the expression of circFLNA in OSCC cell lines. Furthermore, both fucoidan and circFLNA could mediate the expression of key proteins related to cell growth, apoptosis, migration, and invasion. In conclusion, our research demonstrated that fucoidan might be considered as a potential natural drug in the treatment of OSCC patients by targeting circFLNA.
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