Magnified image Two new taraxastane‐type triterpenoid saponins and two new neolignans, (6α,11α)‐6‐[(2‐O‐acetyl‐α‐L‐arabinopyranosyl)oxy]‐3‐oxotaraxast‐20‐ene‐11,28‐diyl diacetate (1), (6α,11α)‐6‐[(2‐O‐acetyl‐β‐D‐xylopyranosyl)oxy]‐3‐oxotaraxast‐20‐ene‐11,28‐diyl diacetate (2), (1R,2R,4E)‐1,5‐bis(3,4‐dimethoxyphenyl)‐2‐(methoxymethyl)pent‐4‐en‐1‐ol (3), and 1,1′‐[(1E,4R,5R)‐5‐methoxy‐4‐(methoxymethyl)pent‐1‐ene‐1,5‐diyl]bis(3,4‐dimethoxybenzene) (4), together with six known compounds were isolated from the Chinese medicinal plant Morina kokonorica Hao. Their structures were determined on the basis of spectral data, especially 2D‐NMR and HR‐ESI‐MS.

Rapid detection of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is pivotal for the early screening of prostate cancer (PCa). Here, we devise a one-step, amplification-free fluorescent detection strategy for PSA, employing the trans-cleavage principle of a CRISPR-Cas12a-aptamer system. This method offers a linear range of 0.31–5 ng mL⁻¹ and a detection limit of 0.16 ng mL⁻¹. The high-confidence quantification of PSA is demonstrated through the analysis of real samples, effectively distinguishing between PCa patients and healthy individuals.

Ubiquitin ligase (E3) plays a versatile role in gonadal development and spermatogenesis in mammals, while its function in fish is little reported. In this study, a Z-chromosome linked ubiquitin ligase rchy1 in C. semilaevis (Cs-rchy1) was cloned and characterized. The full-length cDNA was composed of 1962 bp, including 551 bp 5′UTR, 736 bp 3′UTR, and 675 bp ORF encoding a 224-amino-acid (aa) protein. Cs-rchy1 was examined among seven different tissues and found to be predominantly expressed in gonads. In testis, Cs-rchy1 could be detected from 40 days post hatching (dph) until 3 years post hatching (yph), but there was a significant increase at 6 months post hatching (mph). In comparison, the expression levels in ovary were rather stable among different developmental stages. In situ hybridization showed that Cs-rchy1 was mainly localized in germ cells, that is, spermatid and spermatozoa in testis and stage I, II and III oocytes in ovary. In vitro RNA interference found that Cs-rchy1 knockdown resulted in the decline of sox9 and igf1 in ovarian cell line and down-regulation of cyp19a in the testicular cell line. These data suggested that Cs-rchy1 might participate in gonadal differentiation and gametogenesis, via regulating steroid hormone synthesis.