Expression of a Deschampsia antarctica Desv. Polypeptide with Lipase Activity in a Pichia pastoris Vector

The current study isolated and characterized the Lip3F9 polypeptide sequence of Deschampsia antarctica Desv. (GeneBank Accession Number {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"JX846628","term_id":"443427649","term_text":"JX846628"}}JX846628), which was found to be comprised of 291 base pairs and was, moreover, expressed in Pichia pastoris X-33 cells. The enzyme was secreted after 24 h of P. pastoris culture incubation and through induction with methanol. The expressed protein showed maximum lipase activity (35 U/L) with an optimal temperature of 37 °C. The lipase-expressed enzyme lost 50% of its specific activity at 25 °C, a behavior characteristic of a psychrotolerant enzyme. Recombinant enzyme activity was measured in the presence of ionic and non-ionic detergents, and a decrease in enzyme activity was detected for all concentrations of ionic and non-ionic detergents assessed.     

First Isolation of New Canine Parvovirus 2a from Tibetan Mastiff and Global Analysis of the Full-Length VP2 Gene of Canine Parvoviruses 2 in China

Canine parvovirus 2 (CPV-2) was first identified in 1978, and is responsible for classic parvoviral enteritis. Despite the widespread vaccination of domestic carnivores, CPVs have remained important pathogens of domestic and wild carnivores. In this study, we isolated CPV-2 from Tibetan mastiffs and performed a global analysis of the complete VP2 gene sequences of CPV-2 strains in China. Six isolates were typed as new CPV-2a, according to key amino acid positions. On a phylogenetic tree, these six sequences formed a distinct clade. Five isolates occurred on the same branch as {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"KF785794","term_id":"576295726","term_text":"KF785794"}}KF785794 from China and {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"GQ379049","term_id":"256032181","term_text":"GQ379049"}}GQ379049 from Thailand; CPV-LS-ZA1 formed a separate subgroup with {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"FJ435347","term_id":"215398940","term_text":"FJ435347"}}FJ435347 from China. One hundred ninety-eight sequences from various parts of China and the six sequences isolated here formed seven distinct clusters, indicating the high diversity of CPVs in China. Of 204 VP2 sequences, 183 (91.04%) encoded the mutation Ser297Ala, regardless of the antigenic type, implying that most Chinese CPV-2 strains contain the VP2 mutation Ser297Ala. However, the biological significance of this change from prototype CPV-2a/2b to new CPV-2a/2b types remains unclear. This study is the first to isolate new CPV-2a from the Tibetan mastiff. Our data show that new CPV-2a/2b variants are now circulating in China.     

Neuritogenic Monoglyceride Derived from the Constituent of a Marine Fish for Activating the PI3K/ERK/CREB Signalling Pathways in PC12 Cells

A neuritogenic monoglyceride, 1-O-(myristoyl) glycerol (MG), was isolated from the head of Ilisha elongate using a PC12 cell bioassay system, and its chemical structure was elucidated using spectroscopic methods. MG significantly induced 42% of the neurite outgrowth of PC12 cells at a concentration of 10 μM. To study the structure-activity relationships of MG, a series of monoglycerides was designed and synthesised. Bioassay results indicated that the alkyl chain length plays a key role in the neuritogenic activity of the monoglycerides. The groups that link the propane-1,2-diol and alkyl chain were also investigated. An ester linkage, rather than an amido one, was found to be optimal for neuritogenic activity. Therefore, 1-O-(stearoyl) glycerol (SG), which induces 57% of the neurite outgrowth of PC12 cells at 10 μM, was determined to be a lead compound for neuritogenic activity. We then investigated the mechanism of action of neurite outgrowth induced by SG on PC12 cells using protein specific inhibitors and Western blot analysis. The mitogen-activated kinase/ERK kinase (MEK) inhibitor U0126 and the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) inhibitor {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"LY294002","term_id":"1257998346","term_text":"LY294002"}}LY294002 significantly decreased neurite outgrowth. At the same time, SG increased phosphorylation of CREB in protein level. Thus, SG-induced neuritogenic activity depends on the activation of the extracellular-regulated protein kinase (ERK), cAMP responsive element-binding protein (CREB) and PI3K signalling pathways in PC12 cells.     

Molecular Cloning and Characterization of DXS and DXR Genes in the Terpenoid Biosynthetic Pathway of Tripterygium wilfordii

1-Deoxy-d-xylulose-5-phosphate synthase (DXS) and 1-deoxy-d-xylulose-5-phosphate reductoisomerase (DXR) genes are the key enzyme genes of terpenoid biosynthesis but still unknown in Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. f. Here, three full-length cDNA encoding DXS1, DXS2 and DXR were cloned from suspension cells of T. wilfordii with ORF sizes of 2154 bp (TwDXS1, GenBank accession no.{"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"KM879187","term_id":"871331037","term_text":"KM879187"}}KM879187), 2148 bp (TwDXS2, GenBank accession no.{"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"KM879186","term_id":"871331021","term_text":"KM879186"}}KM879186), 1410 bp (TwDXR, GenBank accession no.{"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"KM879185","term_id":"871330999","term_text":"KM879185"}}KM879185). And, the TwDXS1, TwDXS2 and TwDXR were characterized by color complementation in lycopene accumulating strains of Escherichia coli, which indicated that they encoded functional proteins and promoted lycopene pathway flux. TwDXS1 and TwDXS2 are constitutively expressed in the roots, stems and leaves and the expression level showed an order of roots > stems > leaves. After the suspension cells were induced by methyl jasmonate, the mRNA expression level of TwDXS1, TwDXS2, and TwDXR increased, and triptophenolide was rapidly accumulated to 149.52 µg·g⁻¹, a 5.88-fold increase compared with the control. So the TwDXS1, TwDXS2, and TwDXR could be important genes involved in terpenoid biosynthesis in Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. f.     

Detoxification of Toxic Phorbol Esters from Malaysian Jatropha curcas Linn. Kernel by Trichoderma spp. and Endophytic Fungi

The presence of phorbol esters (PEs) with toxic properties limits the use of Jatropha curcas kernel in the animal feed industry. Therefore, suitable methods to detoxify PEs have to be developed to render the material safe as a feed ingredient. In the present study, the biological treatment of the extracted PEs-rich fraction with non-pathogenic fungi (Trichoderma harzianum {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"JQ350879.1","term_id":"384096340","term_text":"JQ350879.1"}}JQ350879.1, T. harzianum {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"JQ517493.1","term_id":"380258734","term_text":"JQ517493.1"}}JQ517493.1, Paecilomyces sinensis {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"JQ350881.1","term_id":"384096342","term_text":"JQ350881.1"}}JQ350881.1, Cladosporium cladosporioides {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"JQ517491.1","term_id":"380258732","term_text":"JQ517491.1"}}JQ517491.1, Fusarium chlamydosporum {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"JQ350882.1","term_id":"384096343","term_text":"JQ350882.1"}}JQ350882.1, F. chlamydosporum {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"JQ517492.1","term_id":"380258733","term_text":"JQ517492.1"}}JQ517492.1 and F. chlamydosporum {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"JQ350880.1","term_id":"384096341","term_text":"JQ350880.1"}}JQ350880.1) was conducted by fermentation in broth cultures. The PEs were detected by liquid chromatography-diode array detector-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC-DAD-ESIMS) and quantitatively monitored by HPLC using phorbol-12-myristate 13-acetate as the standard. At day 30 of incubation, two T. harzianum spp., P. sinensis and C. cladosporioides significantly (p < 0.05) removed PEs with percentage losses of 96.9%–99.7%, while F. chlamydosporum strains showed percentage losses of 88.9%–92.2%. All fungal strains could utilize the PEs-rich fraction for growth. In the cytotoxicity assay, cell viabilities of Chang liver and NIH 3T3 fibroblast cell lines were less than 1% with the untreated PEs-rich fraction, but 84.3%–96.5% with the fungal treated PEs-rich fraction. There was no inhibition on cell viability for normal fungal growth supernatants. To conclude, Trichoderma spp., Paecilomyces sp. and Cladosporium sp. are potential microbes for the detoxification of PEs.     

Generation and Analysis of Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs) from Halophyte Atriplex canescens to Explore Salt-Responsive Related Genes

Little information is available on gene expression profiling of halophyte A. canescens. To elucidate the molecular mechanism for stress tolerance in A. canescens, a full-length complementary DNA library was generated from A. canescens exposed to 400 mM NaCl, and provided 343 high-quality ESTs. In an evaluation of 343 valid EST sequences in the cDNA library, 197 unigenes were assembled, among which 190 unigenes (83.1% ESTs) were identified according to their significant similarities with proteins of known functions. All the 343 EST sequences have been deposited in the dbEST GenBank under accession numbers {"type":"entrez-nucleotide-range","attrs":{"text":"JZ535802 to JZ536144","start_term":"JZ535802","end_term":"JZ536144","start_term_id":"584304637","end_term_id":"584305012"}}JZ535802 to JZ536144. According to Arabidopsis MIPS functional category and GO classifications, we identified 193 unigenes of the 311 annotations EST, representing 72 non-redundant unigenes sharing similarities with genes related to the defense response. The sets of ESTs obtained provide a rich genetic resource and 17 up-regulated genes related to salt stress resistance were identified by qRT-PCR. Six of these genes may contribute crucially to earlier and later stage salt stress resistance. Additionally, among the 343 unigenes sequences, 22 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were also identified contributing to the study of A. canescens resources.     

Antiallergic Phorbol Ester from the Seeds of Aquilaria malaccensis

The Aquilaria malaccensis (Thymelaeaceae) tree is a source of precious fragrant resin, called agarwood, which is widely used in traditional medicines in East Asia against diseases such as asthma. In our continuous search for active natural products, A. malaccensis seeds ethanolic extract demonstrated antiallergic effect with an IC₅₀ value less than 1 µg/mL. Therefore, the present research aimed to purify and identify the antiallergic principle of A. malaccensis through a bioactivity-guided fractionation approach. We found that phorbol ester-rich fraction was responsible for the antiallergic activity of A. malaccensis seeds. One new active phorbol ester, 12-O-(2Z,4E,6E)-tetradeca-2,4,6-trienoylphorbol-13-acetate, aquimavitalin (1) was isolated. The structure of 1 was assigned by means of 1D and 2D NMR data and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HR-MS). Aquimavitalin (1) showed strong inhibitory activity in {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"A23187","term_id":"833253","term_text":"A23187"}}A23187- and antigen-induced degranulation assay with IC₅₀ values of 1.7 and 11 nM, respectively, with a therapeutic index up to 71,000. The antiallergic activities of A. malaccensis seeds and aquimavitalin (1) have never been revealed before. The results indicated that A. malaccensis seeds and the pure compound have the potential for use in the treatment of allergy.     

微生物絮凝剂的絮凝特性研究

从活性污泥中分离出1株产高效絮凝剂微生物AspergillusM-25,利用其发酵液进行絮凝特性实验。实验结果表明:(1)该絮凝剂对250μm,4g/L,pH为7的高岭土悬浊液有良好的絮凝效果,絮凝率>97%;(2)菌株M-25产生的活性成分95%存在于上清液中,只有约5%存在于洗涤后的菌细胞中,未接种的培养液中不含絮凝成分;⑶影响生物絮凝剂絮凝效果的因素主要有絮凝剂的投加量,高岭土悬浊液的pH、浊度、粒度以及金属离子的添加;⑷利用该生物絮凝剂处理活性炭粉末溶液和土壤悬浊液,也取得较好的处理效果,显示了絮凝范围的广泛性。     

Improving the Thermostability of a Fungal GH11 Xylanase via Fusion of a Submodule (C2) from Hyperthermophilic CBM9_1-2

Xylanases have been applied in many industrial fields. To improve the activity and thermostability of the xylanase CDBFV from Neocallimastix patriciarum (GenBank accession no. {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"KP691331","term_id":"856571581"}}KP691331), submodule C2 from hyperthermophilic CBM9_1-2 was inserted into the N- and/or C-terminal regions of the CDBFV protein (producing C2-CDBFV, CDBFV-C2, and C2-CDBFV-C2) by genetic engineering. CDBFV and the hybrid proteins were successfully expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). Enzymatic property analysis indicates that the C2 submodule had a significant effect on enhancing the thermostability of the CDBFV. At the optimal temperature (60.0 °C), the half-lives of the three chimeras C2-CDBFV, CDBFV-C2, and C2-CDBFV-C2 are 1.5 times (37.5 min), 4.9 times (122.2 min), and 3.8 times (93.1 min) longer than that of wild-type CDBFV (24.8 min), respectively. More importantly, structural analysis and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation revealed that the improved thermal stability of the chimera CDBFV-C2 was on account of the formation of four relatively stable additional hydrogen bonds (S42-S462, T59-E277, S41-K463, and S44-G371), which increased the protein structure’s stability. The thermostability characteristics of CDBFV-C2 make it a viable enzyme for industrial applications.     

Cloning,Expression, and Characterization of a Thermophilic Endoglucanase,AcCel12B from Acidothermus cellulolyticus 11B

The gene {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"ABK52392","term_id":"117648290","term_text":"ABK52392"}}ABK52392 from the thermophilic bacterium Acidothermus cellulolyticus 11B was predicted to be endoglucanase and classified into glycoside hydrolase family 12. {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"ABK52392","term_id":"117648290","term_text":"ABK52392"}}ABK52392 encodes a protein containing a catalytic domain and a carbohydrate binding module. {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"ABK52392","term_id":"117648290","term_text":"ABK52392"}}ABK52392 was cloned and functionally expressed in Escherichia coli. After purification by Ni-NTA agarose affinity chromatography and Q-Sepharose^® Fast Flow chromatography, the properties of the recombinant protein (AcCel12B) were characterized. AcCel12B exhibited optimal activity at pH 4.5 and 75 °C. The half-lives of AcCel12B at 60 and 70 °C were about 90 and 2 h, respectively, under acidic conditions. The specific hydrolytic activities of AcCel12B at 70 °C and pH 4.5 for sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and regenerated amorphous cellulose (RAC) were 118.3 and 104.0 U·mg⁻¹, respectively. The K_m and V_max of AcCel12B for CMC were 25.47 mg·mL⁻¹ and 131.75 U·mg⁻¹, respectively. The time course of hydrolysis for RAC was investigated by measuring reducing ends in the soluble and insoluble phases. The total hydrolysis rate rapidly decreased after the early stage of incubation and the generation of insoluble reducing ends decreased earlier than that of soluble reducing ends. High thermostability of the cellulase indicates its potential commercial significance and it could be exploited for industrial application in the future.     

Cloning,Expression and Characterization of a Novel Thermophilic Polygalacturonase from Caldicellulosiruptor bescii DSM 6725

We cloned the gene {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"ACM61449","term_id":"222457187","term_text":"ACM61449"}}ACM61449 from anaerobic, thermophilic Caldicellulosiruptor bescii, and expressed it in Escherichia coli origami (DE3). After purification through thermal treatment and Ni-NTA agarose column extraction, we characterized the properties of the recombinant protein (CbPelA). The optimal temperature and pH of the protein were 72 °C and 5.2, respectively. CbPelA demonstrated high thermal-stability, with a half-life of 14 h at 70 °C. CbPelA also showed very high activity for polygalacturonic acid (PGA), and released monogalacturonic acid as its sole product. The V_max and K_m of CbPelA were 384.6 U·mg⁻¹ and 0.31 mg·mL⁻¹, respectively. CbPelA was also able to hydrolyze methylated pectin (48% and 10% relative activity on 20%–34% and 85% methylated pectin, respectively). The high thermo-activity and methylated pectin hydrolization activity of CbPelA suggest that it has potential applications in the food and textile industry.     

Rationale for a Combination Therapy with the STAT5 Inhibitor AC-4-130 and the MCL1 Inhibitor S63845 in the Treatment of FLT3-Mutated or TET2-Mutated Acute Myeloid Leukemia

The FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) gene is mutated in one-third of patients with de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Mutated FLT3 variants are constitutively active kinases signaling via AKT kinase, MAP kinases, and STAT5. FLT3 inhibitors have been approved for the treatment of FLT3-mutated AML. However, treatment response to FLT3 inhibitors may be short-lived, and resistance may emerge. Compounds targeting STAT5 may enhance and prolong effects of FLT3 inhibitors in this subset of patients with FLT3-mutated AML. Here STAT5-inhibitor AC-4-130, FLT3 inhibitor midostaurin (PKC412), BMI-1 inhibitor PTC596, MEK-inhibitor trametinib, MCL1-inhibitor {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"S63845","term_id":"400540","term_text":"S63845"}}S63845, and BCL-2 inhibitor venetoclax were assessed as single agents and in combination for their ability to induce apoptosis and cell death in leukemic cells grown in the absence or presence of bone marrow stroma. Synergistic effects on cell viability were detected in both FLT3-mutated and FLT3-wild-type AML cells treated with AC-4-130 in combination with the MCL1 inhibitor {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"S63845","term_id":"400540","term_text":"S63845"}}S63845. AML patient samples with a strong response to AC-4-130 and {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"S63845","term_id":"400540","term_text":"S63845"}}S63845 combination treatment were characterized by mutated FLT3 or mutated TET2 genes. Susceptibility of AML cells to AC-4-130, PTC596, trametinib, PKC412, and venetoclax was altered in the presence of HS-5 stroma. Only the MCL1 inhibitor {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"S63845","term_id":"400540","term_text":"S63845"}}S63845 induced cell death with equal efficacy in the absence or presence of bone marrow stroma. The combination of the STAT5-inhibitor AC-4-130 and the MCL1 inhibitor {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"S63845","term_id":"400540","term_text":"S63845"}}S63845 may be an effective treatment targeting FLT3-mutated or TET2-mutated AML.     

Downregulation of lncRNA PpL-T31511 and Pp-miRn182 Promotes Hydrogen Cyanamide-Induced Endodormancy Release through the PP2C-H2O2 Pathway in Pear (Pyrus pyrifolia)

Bud endodormancy is an important, complex process subject to both genetic and epigenetic control, the mechanism of which is still unclear. The endogenous hormone abscisic acid (ABA) and its signaling pathway play important roles in the endodormancy process, in which the type 2C protein phosphatases (PP2Cs) is key to the ABA signal pathway. Due to its excellent effect on endodormancy release, hydrogen cyanamide (HC) treatment is considered an effective measure to study the mechanism of endodormancy release. In this study, RNA-Seq analysis was conducted on endodormant floral buds of pear (Pyrus pyrifolia) with HC treatment, and the HC-induced PP2C gene PpPP2C1 was identified. Next, software prediction, expression tests and transient assays revealed that lncRNA PpL-{"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"T31511","term_id":"613609"}}T31511-derived Pp-miRn182 targets PpPP2C1. The expression analysis showed that HC treatment upregulated the expression of PpPP2C1 and downregulated the expression of PpL-{"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"T31511","term_id":"613609"}}T31511 and Pp-miRn182. Moreover, HC treatment inhibited the accumulation of ABA signaling pathway-related genes and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). Furthermore, overexpression of Pp-miRn182 reduced the inhibitory effect of PpPP2C1 on the H₂O₂ content. In summary, our study suggests that downregulation of PpL-{"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"T31511","term_id":"613609"}}T31511-derived Pp-miRn182 promotes HC-induced endodormancy release in pear plants through the PP2C-H₂O₂ pathway.     

Studies on Bioflocculant Production by Arthrobacter sp. Raats, a Freshwater Bacteria Isolated from Tyume River, South Africa

A bioflocculant-producing bacteria was isolated from Tyume River in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa and identified by 16S rRNA gene nucleotide sequence to have 91% similarity to Arthrobacter sp. 5J12A, and the nucleotide sequence was deposited in GenBank as Arthrobacter sp. Raats (accession number HQ875723). The bacteria produced an extracellular bioflocculant when grown aerobically in a production medium containing glucose as sole carbon source and had an initial pH of 7.0. Influences of carbon, nitrogen and metal ions sources, as well as initial pH on flocculating activity were investigated. The bacteria optimally produced the bioflocullant when lactose and urea were used as sole sources of carbon and nitrogen respectively with flocculating activities of 75.4% and 83.4% respectively. Also, the bacteria produced the bioflocculant optimally when initial pH of the medium was 7.0 (flocculating activity 84%), and when Mg(2+) was used as cation (flocculating activity 77%). Composition analyses indicated the bioflocculant to be principally a glycoprotein made up of about 56% protein and 25% total carbohydrate.     

Ginsenoside-Rd Promotes Neurite Outgrowth of PC12 Cells through MAPK/ERK- and PI3K/AKT-Dependent Pathways

Panax ginseng is a famous herbal medicine widely used in Asia. Ginsenosides have been identified as the principle active ingredients for Panax ginseng’s biological activity, among which ginsenoside Rd (Rd) attracts extensive attention for its obvious neuroprotective activities. Here we investigated the effect of Rd on neurite outgrowth, a crucial process associated with neuronal repair. PC12 cells, which respond to nerve growth factor (NGF) and serve as a model for neuronal cells, were treated with different concentrations of Rd, and then their neurite outgrowth was evaluated. Our results showed that 10 μM Rd significantly increased the percentages of long neurite- and branching neurite-bearing cells, compared with respective controls. The length of the longest neurites and the total length of neurites in Rd-treated PC12 cells were much longer than that of respective controls. We also showed that Rd activated ERK1/2 and AKT but not PKC signalings, and inhibition of ERK1/2 by PD98059 or/and AKT by {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"LY294002","term_id":"1257998346","term_text":"LY294002"}}LY294002 effectively attenuated Rd-induced neurite outgrowth. Moreover, Rd upregulated the expression of GAP-43, a neuron-specific protein involved in neurite outgrowth, while PD98059 or/and {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"LY294002","term_id":"1257998346","term_text":"LY294002"}}LY294002 decreased Rd-induced increased GAP-43 expression. Taken together, our results provided the first evidence that Rd may promote the neurite outgrowth of PC12 cells by upregulating GAP-43 expression via ERK- and ARK-dependent signaling pathways.     

Exploring New Potential Anticancer Activities of the G-Quadruplexes Formed by [(GTG2T(G3T)3] and Its Derivatives with an Abasic Site Replacing Single Thymidine

In this paper, we report our investigations on five {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"T30175","term_id":"612273"}}T30175 analogues, prepared by replacing sequence thymidines with abasic sites (S) one at a time, in comparison to their natural counterpart in order to evaluate their antiproliferative potential and the involvement of the residues not belonging to the central core of stacked guanosines in biological activity. The collected NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance), CD (Circular Dichroism), and PAGE (Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis) data strongly suggest that all of them adopt G-quadruplex (G4) structures strictly similar to that of the parent aptamer with the ability to fold into a dimeric structure composed of two identical G-quadruplexes, each characterized by parallel strands, three all-anti-G-tetrads and four one-thymidine loops (one bulge and three propeller loops). Furthermore, their antiproliferative (MTT assay) and anti-motility (wound healing assay) properties against lung and colorectal cancer cells were tested. Although all of the oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) investigated here exhibited anti-proliferative activity, the unmodified {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"T30175","term_id":"612273"}}T30175 aptamer showed the greatest effect on cell growth, suggesting that both its characteristic folding in dimeric form and its presence in the sequence of all thymidines are crucial elements for antiproliferative activity. This straightforward approach is suitable for understanding the critical requirements of the G-quadruplex structures that affect antiproliferative potential and suggests its application as a starting point to facilitate the reasonable development of G-quadruplexes with improved anticancer properties.