👤 Jing-Jing Tang

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is associated with sustained vasoconstriction, inflammation and suppressed apoptosis of smooth muscle cells. Our previous studies have found that rat bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (rBMSCs) transduced with a mutant caveolin-1(F92A-Cav1) could enhance endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activity and improve pulmonary vascular remodeling, but the potential mechanism is not yet fully explored. The present study was to investigate the gene expression profile upon rBMSCs/F92A-Cav1delivered to PAH rat to evaluate the role of F92A-Cav1 in its regulation. PAH was induced with monocrotaline (MCT, 60mg/kg) prior to delivery of lentiviral vector transduced rBMSCs expressing Cav1 or F92A-Cav1. Gene expression profiling was performed using Rat Signal Transduction PathwayFinder array. The expression changes of 84 key genes representing 10 signal transduction pathways in rat following rBMSCs/F92A-Cav1 treatment was examined. Screening with the Rat Signal Transduction PathwayFinder R rBMSCs/F92A-Cav1 inhibits inflammation and cell proliferation by regulating signaling pathways that related to inflammation, proliferation, cell cycle and oxidative stress. Show less

Turnover of focal adhesions allows cell retraction, which is essential for cell migration. The mammalian spectraplakin protein, ACF7 (Actin-Crosslinking Factor 7), promotes focal adhesion dynamics by targeting of microtubule plus ends towards focal adhesions. However, it remains unclear how the activity of ACF7 is regulated spatiotemporally to achieve focal adhesion-specific guidance of microtubule. To explore the potential mechanisms, we resolve the crystal structure of ACF7's NT (amino-terminal) domain, which mediates F-actin interactions. Structural analysis leads to identification of a key tyrosine residue at the calponin homology (CH) domain of ACF7, whose phosphorylation by Src/FAK (focal adhesion kinase) complex is essential for F-actin binding of ACF7. Using skin epidermis as a model system, we further demonstrate that the phosphorylation of ACF7 plays an indispensable role in focal adhesion dynamics and epidermal migration in vitro and in vivo. Together, our findings provide critical insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying coordinated cytoskeletal dynamics during cell movement. Show less

Adipose tissue de novo lipogenesis (DNL) positively influences insulin sensitivity, is reduced in obesity, and predicts insulin resistance. Therefore, elucidating mechanisms controlling adipose tissue DNL could lead to therapies for type 2 diabetes. Here, we report that mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 2 (mTORC2) functions in white adipose tissue (WAT) to control expression of the lipogenic transcription factor ChREBPβ. Conditionally deleting the essential mTORC2 subunit Rictor in mature adipocytes decreases ChREBPβ expression, which reduces DNL in WAT, and impairs hepatic insulin sensitivity. Mechanistically, Rictor/mTORC2 promotes ChREBPβ expression in part by controlling glucose uptake, but without impairing pan-AKT signalling. High-fat diet also rapidly decreases adipose tissue ChREBPβ expression and insulin sensitivity in wild-type mice, and does not further exacerbate insulin resistance in adipose tissue Rictor knockout mice, implicating adipose tissue DNL as an early target in diet-induced insulin resistance. These data suggest mTORC2 functions in WAT as part of an extra-hepatic nutrient-sensing mechanism to control glucose homeostasis. Show less

Soyasaponin Ab (SA) has been reported to have anti-inflammatory effect. However, the effects of SA on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) have not been reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of SA on LPS-induced ALI and clarify the possible mechanism. The mice were stimulated with LPS to induce ALI. SA was given 1h after LPS treatment. 12h later, lung tissues were collected to assess pathological changes and edema. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was collected to assess inflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide (NO) production. In vitro, mice alveolar macrophages were used to investigate the anti-inflammatory mechanism of SA. Our results showed that SA attenuated LPS-induced lung pathological changes, edema, the expression of cycloxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in lung tissues, as well as TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, and NO production in mice. Meanwhile, SA up-regulated the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase decreased by LPS in mice. SA also inhibited LPS-induced TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β production as well as NF-κB activation in alveolar macrophages. Furthermore, SA could activate Liver X Receptor Alpha (LXRα) and knockdown of LXRα by RNAi abrogated the anti-inflammatory effects of SA. In conclusion, the current study demonstrated that SA exhibited protective effects against LPS-induced acute lung injury and the possible mechanism was involved in activating LXRα, thereby inhibiting LPS-induced inflammatory response. Show less

Autophagy is an important catabolic process, which sustains intracellular homeostasis and lengthens cell survival under stress. Here we identify the ankyrin-repeat-containing, SH3-domain-containing, and proline-rich region-containing protein 2 (ASPP2), a haploinsufficient tumor suppressor, as a molecular regulator of starvation-induced autophagy in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). ASPP2 expression is associated with an autophagic response upon nutrient deprivation and downregulation of ASPP2 facilitates autophagic flux, whereas overexpression of ASPP2 blocks this starvation-induced autophagy in HCC cells. Mechanistically, ASPP2 inhibits autophagy through regulating BECN1 transcription and formation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase catalytic subunit type 3 (PIK3C3) complex. Firstly, ASPP2 inhibits p65/RelA-induced transcription of BECN1, directly by an ASPP2-p65/RelA-IκBα complex which inhibits phosphorylation of IκBα and the translocation of p65/RelA into the nucleus. Secondly, ASPP2 binds to BECN1, leading to decreased binding of PIK3C3 and UV radiation resistance-associated gene (UVRAG), and increased binding of Rubicon in PIK3C3 complex. Downregulation of ASPP2 enhances the pro-survival and chemoresistant property via autophagy in HCC cells in vitro and in vivo. Decreased ASPP2 expression was associated with increased BECN1 and poor survival in HCC patients. Therefore, ASPP2 is a key regulator of BECN1-dependent autophagy, and decreased ASPP2 may contribute to tumor progression and chemoresistance via promoting autophagy. Show less

Centriole duplication is a tightly ordered process during which procentrioles are assembled in G1-S and elongate during S and G2. Here, we show that human CEP295 (Drosophila Ana1) is not essential for initial cartwheel assembly, but is required to build distal half centrioles during S and G2. Using super-resolution and immunogold electron microscopy, we demonstrate that CEP295 is recruited to the proximal end of procentrioles in early S phase, when it is also localized at the centriolar microtubule wall that surrounds the human SAS6 cartwheel hub. Interestingly, depletion of CEP295 not only inhibits the recruitments of POC5 and POC1B to the distal half centrioles in G2, resulting in shorter centrioles, it also blocks the post-translational modification of centriolar microtubules (e.g. acetylation and glutamylation). Importantly, our results indicate that CEP295 directly interacts with microtubules, and that excess CEP295 could induce the assembly of overly long centrioles. Furthermore, exogenous expression of the N-terminal domain of CEP295 exerts a dominant-negative effect on centriole elongation. Collectively, these findings suggest that CEP295 is essential for building the distal half centrioles and for post-translational modification of centriolar microtubules. Show less

DNA methylation changes in peripheral blood DNA have been shown to be associated with solid tumors. We sought to identify methylation alterations in whole blood DNA that are associated with breast cancer (BC). Epigenome-wide DNA methylation profiling on blood DNA from BC cases and healthy controls was performed by applying Infinium HumanMethylation450K BeadChips. Promising CpG sites were selected and validated in three independent larger sample cohorts via MassARRAY EpiTyper assays. CpG sites located in three genes (cg06418238 in RPTOR, cg00736299 in MGRN1 and cg27466532 in RAPSN), which showed significant hypomethylation in BC patients compared to healthy controls in the discovery cohort (p < 1.00 x 10-6) were selected and successfully validated in three independent cohorts (validation I, n =211; validation II, n=378; validation III, n=520). The observed methylation differences are likely not cell-type specific, as the differences were only seen in whole blood, but not in specific sub cell-types of leucocytes. Moreover, we observed in quartile analysis that women in the lower methylation quartiles of these three loci had higher ORs than women in the higher quartiles. The combined AUC of three loci was 0.79 (95%CI 0.73-0.85) in validation cohort I, and was 0.60 (95%CI 0.54-0.66) and 0.62 (95%CI 0.57-0.67) in validation cohort II and III, respectively. Our study suggests that hypomethylation of CpG sites in RPTOR, MGRN1 and RAPSN in blood is associated with BC and might serve as blood-based marker supplements for BC if these could be verified in prospective studies. Show less

Adaptation to hypoxia is an important process physiologically and pathologically. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) participates in the cancer biology of numerous endocrine tumors, including their proliferation and differentiation. In the present study, the hypothesis that HIF-1α promotes tumorigenesis in thyroid cancer via upregulating angiogenesis-associated markers is investigated. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and western blot analysis were used to examine the expression of HIF-1α in thyroid cancer cell lines, and to detect the expression of WW domain containing E3 ubiquitin protein ligase (WWP)2, WWP9, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR2) in MZ-CRC-1 and TT thyroid cancer cells. Cell proliferation was measured using a Cell Count Kit-8. Cell apoptosis and cell cycle was assessed by flow cytometry. Cell invasive ability was examined by Matrigel transwell analysis. RT-qPCR and western blot analyses demonstrated that the mRNA and protein expression levels of HIF-1α were significant higher in MZ-CRC-1 and TT thyroid cancer cells than in another three thyroid cancer cells (P<0.01). HIF-1α knockdown cells demonstrated inhibition of cell proliferation and invasion, arrested cell cycle at the G1 phase, and induction of cell apoptosis. The protein expression levels of WWP2, WWP9, VEGF and VEGFR2 were decreased in HIF-1α knockdown MZ-CRC-1 and TT cells. In conclusion, HIF-1α may be important in cell apoptosis and invasion of thyroid cancer cells, likely through regulating WWP2, WWP9, VEGF and VEGFR2 expression. Show less

Recent genome-wide association studies have identified several loci influencing lipid levels. The present study focused on the triglycerides (TG)-associated locus, the APOA4-APOA5-ZNF259-BUD13 gene cluster on chromosome 11, to explore the role of genetic variants in this gene cluster in the development of increasing TG levels and coronary heart disease (CHD). Six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs4417316, rs651821, rs6589566, rs7396835, rs964184 and rs17119975, in the APOA4-APOA5-ZNF259-BUD13 gene cluster were selected and genotyped in 5374 healthy Chinese subjects. There were strong significant associations between the six SNPs and TG levels (P < 1.0 × 10(-8)). Moreover, a weighted genotype score was found to be associated with TG levels (P = 3.28 × 10(-13)). The frequencies of three common haplotypes were observed to be significantly different between the high TG group and the low TG group (P < 0.05). However, no significant effects were found for the SNPs regarding susceptibility to CHD in the Chinese case-control populations. This study highlights the genotypes, genotype scores and haplotypes of the APOA4-APOA5-ZNF259-BUD13 gene cluster that were associated with TG levels in a Chinese population; however, the genetic variants in this gene cluster did not increase the risk of CHD in the Chinese population. Show less

Apolipoprotein A5 (APOA5) is associated with plasma triglyceride (TG) levels, a risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD). This study explored the association between CHD and the APOA5 rs662799 polymorphism. We collected 1,521 samples (783 CHD patients and 738 controls) for this case-control study. Meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager Software and Stata Software. Significant differences were observed between CHD cases and controls at the level of both genotype (χ2 = 8.964, df = 2, P = 0.011) and allele (χ2 = 9.180, df = 1, P = 0.002, OR = 1.275, 95% CI = 1.089-1.492). A breakdown analysis by gender showed a significant association of APOA5 rs662799 with CHD in males (χ2 = 7.770, df = 1, P = 0.005; OR = 1.331, 95% CI = 1.088-1.628). An additional meta-analysis using 21378 cases and 28428 controls established that rs662799 is significantly associated with CHD (P < 0.00001). Both our case-control study and meta-analysis confirm a significant association between APOA5 rs662799 and CHD. In addition, our results suggest a male-specific association between the APOA5 rs662799 polymorphism and CHD. Show less

Upon high-fat feeding, prostaglandin E receptor subtype 4 (EP4)-knockout mice gain less body weight than their EP4(+/+) littermates. We investigated the cause of the lean phenotype. The mice showed a 68.8% reduction in weight gain with diminished fat mass that was not attributable to reduced food intake, fat malabsorption, or increased energy expenditure. Plasma triglycerides in the mice were elevated by 244.9%. The increase in plasma triglycerides was independent of changes in hepatic very low density lipoprotein (VLDL)-triglyceride production or intestinal chylomicron-triglyceride synthesis. However, VLDL-triglyceride clearance was drastically impaired in the EP4-knockout mice. The absence of EP4 in mice compromised the activation of lipoprotein lipase (LPL), the key enzyme responsible for trafficking of plasma triglycerides into peripheral tissues. Deficiency in EP4 reduced hepatic mRNA expression of the transcriptional factor cAMP response element binding protein H (by 36.8%) and LPL activators, including apolipoprotein (Apo)a5 (by 40.2%) and Apoc2 (by 61.3%). In summary, the lean phenotype of EP4-deficient mice resulted from reduction in adipose tissue and accretion of other peripheral organs caused by impaired triglyceride clearance. The findings identify a new metabolic dimension in the physiologic role played by endogenous EP4. Show less

Myocardial infarction (MI), a leading cause of death around the world, displays a complex pattern of inheritance. When MI occurs early in life, genetic inheritance is a major component to risk. Previously, rare mutations in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) genes have been shown to contribute to MI risk in individual families, whereas common variants at more than 45 loci have been associated with MI risk in the population. Here we evaluate how rare mutations contribute to early-onset MI risk in the population. We sequenced the protein-coding regions of 9,793 genomes from patients with MI at an early age (≤50 years in males and ≤60 years in females) along with MI-free controls. We identified two genes in which rare coding-sequence mutations were more frequent in MI cases versus controls at exome-wide significance. At low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR), carriers of rare non-synonymous mutations were at 4.2-fold increased risk for MI; carriers of null alleles at LDLR were at even higher risk (13-fold difference). Approximately 2% of early MI cases harbour a rare, damaging mutation in LDLR; this estimate is similar to one made more than 40 years ago using an analysis of total cholesterol. Among controls, about 1 in 217 carried an LDLR coding-sequence mutation and had plasma LDL cholesterol > 190 mg dl(-1). At apolipoprotein A-V (APOA5), carriers of rare non-synonymous mutations were at 2.2-fold increased risk for MI. When compared with non-carriers, LDLR mutation carriers had higher plasma LDL cholesterol, whereas APOA5 mutation carriers had higher plasma triglycerides. Recent evidence has connected MI risk with coding-sequence mutations at two genes functionally related to APOA5, namely lipoprotein lipase and apolipoprotein C-III (refs 18, 19). Combined, these observations suggest that, as well as LDL cholesterol, disordered metabolism of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins contributes to MI risk. Show less

Cryptorchidism is one of the most common congenital anomalies in newborn boys. Although the mechanism responsible for the pathophysiology of cryptorchidism has not yet been well addressed, the Wnt signaling pathway has been involved in the development of cryptorchidism. Axin1 is a central component of the Wnt signaling pathway and may play a critical role in the development of cryptorchidism. We assumed that cryptorchidism risk and the AXIN1 gene may have an association. Thus we picked out three tag SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) in the AXIN1 gene and aimed to investigate whether cryptorchidism risk is associated with polymorphisms in the AXIN1 gene. The variants were discriminated using polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) methods. A total of 113 cases and 179 controls were recruited to participate in this study, including 92 unilateral cryptorchidism and 21 bilateral cases. In bilateral cases, the position of the testis was decided by the higher one. A significantly increased cryptorchidism risk was found to be associated with both the T allele (p = 2e(-4), OR 1.96, 95% CI 1.37-2.78) and T/T genotype (p = 6e(-4), OR 4.00, 95% CI 1.79-9.09) of rs370681 polymorphism, and, compared with the C/C genotype, a significantly increased cryptorchidism risk was associated with the C/T-T/T genotype (p = 4e(-4), OR 2.44, 95% CI 1.47-4.00) of rs370681 polymorphisms. Among the three tag SNPs we have chosen in AXIN1, two SNPs are located in the intron region, the other SNP is located in the synonymous codon region. Evidential research has indicated that introns and other non-protein-coding RNAs may have evolved to function as network control molecules in higher organisms. Therefore, we suspected that the tag SNPs may work as controls influencing the conduct of other genes rather than affecting the structure of the protein by influencing the coding of amino acid. There were limitations in our study. One is that we did not test the expression level of Axin1. Secondly, the number of the study subjects is limited. Finally, the molecular mechanisms by which AXIN1 is involved in susceptibility to cryptorchidism should be characterized. We assessed the impact of the genetic variability of the AXIN1 gene on cryptorchidism. We have offered primary evidence that the T allele and T/T genotype of rs370681 polymorphisms and C/T genotype of rs1805105 polymorphisms in AXIN1 gene are more frequent in patients with cryptorchidism. Show less

Non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA), a severe form of male infertility, is often suspected to be linked to currently undefined genetic abnormalities. To explore the genetic basis of this condition, we successfully sequenced ~650 infertility-related genes in 757 NOA patients and 709 fertile males. We evaluated the contributions of rare variants to the etiology of NOA by identifying individual genes showing nominal associations and testing the genetic burden of a given biological process as a whole. We found a significant excess of rare, non-silent variants in genes that are key epigenetic regulators of spermatogenesis, such as BRWD1, DNMT1, DNMT3B, RNF17, UBR2, USP1 and USP26, in NOA patients (P = 5.5 × 10(-7)), corresponding to a carrier frequency of 22.5% of patients and 13.7% of controls (P = 1.4 × 10(-5)). An accumulation of low-frequency variants was also identified in additional epigenetic genes (BRDT and MTHFR). Our study suggested the potential associations of genetic defects in genes that are epigenetic regulators with spermatogenic failure in human. Show less

Cell fate decisions are critical for life, yet little is known about how their reliability is achieved when signals are noisy and fluctuating with time. In this study, we show that in budding yeast, the decision of cell cycle commitment (Start) is determined by the time integration of its triggering signal Cln3. We further identify the Start repressor, Whi5, as the integrator. The instantaneous kinase activity of Cln3-Cdk1 is recorded over time on the phosphorylated Whi5, and the decision is made only when phosphorylated Whi5 reaches a threshold. Cells adjust the threshold by modulating Whi5 concentration in different nutrient conditions to coordinate growth and division. Our work shows that the strategy of signal integration, which was previously found in decision-making behaviors of animals, is adopted at the cellular level to reduce noise and minimize uncertainty. Show less

RNA G-quadruplexes (G4s) play important roles in RNA biology. However, the function and regulation of mRNA G-quadruplexes in embryonic development remain elusive. Previously, we identified RHAU (DHX36, G4R1) as an RNA helicase that resolves mRNA G-quadruplexes. Here, we find that cardiac deletion of Rhau leads to heart defects and embryonic lethality in mice. Gene expression profiling identified Nkx2-5 mRNA as a target of RHAU that associates with its 5' and 3' UTRs and modulates its stability and translation. The 5' UTR of Nkx2-5 mRNA contains a G-quadruplex that requires RHAU for protein translation, while the 3' UTR of Nkx2-5 mRNA possesses an AU-rich element (ARE) that facilitates RHAU-mediated mRNA decay. Thus, we uncovered the mechanisms underlying Nkx2-5 post-transcriptional regulation during heart development. Meanwhile, this study demonstrates the function of mRNA 5' UTR G-quadruplex-mediated protein translation in organogenesis. Show less

Human papillomavirus (HPV) integration is a key genetic event in cervical carcinogenesis. By conducting whole-genome sequencing and high-throughput viral integration detection, we identified 3,667 HPV integration breakpoints in 26 cervical intraepithelial neoplasias, 104 cervical carcinomas and five cell lines. Beyond recalculating frequencies for the previously reported frequent integration sites POU5F1B (9.7%), FHIT (8.7%), KLF12 (7.8%), KLF5 (6.8%), LRP1B (5.8%) and LEPREL1 (4.9%), we discovered new hot spots HMGA2 (7.8%), DLG2 (4.9%) and SEMA3D (4.9%). Protein expression from FHIT and LRP1B was downregulated when HPV integrated in their introns. Protein expression from MYC and HMGA2 was elevated when HPV integrated into flanking regions. Moreover, microhomologous sequence between the human and HPV genomes was significantly enriched near integration breakpoints, indicating that fusion between viral and human DNA may have occurred by microhomology-mediated DNA repair pathways. Our data provide insights into HPV integration-driven cervical carcinogenesis. Show less

Exome sequencing is a successful option for diagnosing individuals with previously uncharacterized genetic conditions, however little has been reported regarding its utility in a prenatal setting. The goal of this study is to describe the results from a cohort of fetuses for which exome sequencing was performed. We performed a retrospective analysis of the first seven cases referred to our laboratory for exome sequencing following fetal demise or termination of pregnancy. All seven pregnancies had multiple congenital anomalies identified by level II ultrasound. Exome sequencing was performed on trios using cultured amniocytes or products of conception from the affected fetuses. Relevant alterations were identified in more than half of the cases (4/7). Three of the four were categorized as 'positive' results, and one of the four was categorized as a 'likely positive' result. The provided diagnoses included osteogenesis imperfecta II (COL1A2), glycogen storage disease IV (GBE1), oral-facial-digital syndrome 1 (OFD1), and RAPSN-associated fetal akinesia deformation sequence. This data suggests that exome sequencing is likely to be a valuable diagnostic testing option for pregnancies with multiple congenital anomalies detected by prenatal ultrasound; however, additional studies with larger cohorts of affected pregnancies are necessary to confirm these findings. Show less

Tissue concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids may reduce cardiovascular disease risk, and genetic variants are associated with circulating fatty acids concentrations. Whether dietary fatty acids interact with genetic variants to modify circulating omega-3 fatty acids is unclear. We evaluated interactions between genetic variants and fatty acid intakes for circulating alpha-linoleic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, and docosapentaenoic acid. We conducted meta-analyses (N = 11 668) evaluating interactions between dietary fatty acids and genetic variants (rs174538 and rs174548 in FADS1 (fatty acid desaturase 1), rs7435 in AGPAT3 (1-acyl-sn-glycerol-3-phosphate), rs4985167 in PDXDC1 (pyridoxal-dependent decarboxylase domain-containing 1), rs780094 in GCKR (glucokinase regulatory protein), and rs3734398 in ELOVL2 (fatty acid elongase 2)). Stratification by measurement compartment (plasma versus erthyrocyte) revealed compartment-specific interactions between FADS1 rs174538 and rs174548 and dietary alpha-linolenic acid and linoleic acid for docosahexaenoic acid and docosapentaenoic acid. Our findings reinforce earlier reports that genetically based differences in circulating fatty acids may be partially due to differences in the conversion of fatty acid precursors. Further, fatty acids measurement compartment may modify gene-diet relationships, and considering compartment may improve the detection of gene-fatty acids interactions for circulating fatty acid outcomes. Show less

RUNX1-RUNX1T1 (formerly AML1-ETO), a transcription factor generated by the t(8;21) translocation in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), dictates a leukemic program by increasing self-renewal and inhibiting differentiation. Here we demonstrate that the histone demethylase JMJD1C functions as a coactivator for RUNX1-RUNX1T1 and is required for its transcriptional program. JMJD1C is directly recruited by RUNX1-RUNX1T1 to its target genes and regulates their expression by maintaining low H3K9 dimethyl (H3K9me2) levels. Analyses in JMJD1C knockout mice also establish a JMJD1C requirement for RUNX1-RUNX1T1's ability to increase proliferation. We also show a critical role for JMJD1C in the survival of multiple human AML cell lines, suggesting that it is required for leukemic programs in different AML cell types through its association with key transcription factors. Show less

Pigs from Asia and Europe were independently domesticated from c. 9000 years ago. During this period, strong artificial selection has led to dramatic phenotypic changes in domestic pigs. However, the genetic basis underlying these morphological and behavioural adaptations is relatively unknown, particularly for indigenous Chinese pigs. Here, we performed a genome-wide analysis to screen 196 regions with selective sweep signals in Tongcheng pigs, which are a typical indigenous Chinese breed. Genes located in these regions have been found to be involved in lipid metabolism, melanocyte differentiation, neural development and other biological processes, which coincide with the evolutionary phenotypic changes in this breed. A synonymous substitution, c.669T>C, in ESR1, which colocalizes with a major quantitative trait locus for litter size, shows extreme differences in allele frequency between Tongcheng pigs and wild boars. Notably, the variant C allele in this locus exhibits high allele frequency in most Chinese populations, suggesting a consequence of positive selection. Five genes (PRM1, PRM2, TNP2, GPR149 and JMJD1C) related to reproductive traits were found to have high haplotype similarity in Chinese breeds. Two selected genes, MITF and EDNRB, are implied to shape the two-end black colour trait in Tongcheng pig. Subsequent SNP microarray studies of five Chinese white-spotted breeds displayed a concordant signature at both loci, suggesting that these two genes are responsible for colour variations in Chinese breeds. Utilizing massively parallel sequencing, we characterized the candidate sites that adapt to artificial and environmental selections during the Chinese pig domestication. This study provides fundamental proof for further research on the evolutionary adaptation of Chinese pigs. Show less

Here, we investigated the role of LXRα in capsaicin mediated anti-inflammatory effects. Results revealed that capsaicin inhibits LPS-induced IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α production in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Moreover, capsaicin increases LXRα expression through PPARγ pathway. Inhibition of LXRα activation by siRNA diminished the inhibitory action of capsaicin on LPS-induced IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α production. Additionally, LXRα siRNA abrogated the inhibitory action of capsaicin on p65 NF-κB protein expression. Thus, we propose that the anti-inflammatory effects of capsaicin are LXRα dependent, and LXRα may potentially link the capsaicin mediated PPARγ activation and NF-κB inhibition in LPS-induced inflammatory response. Show less

We examined the relationship between the liver X receptor a gene (LXRα) rsl2221497 polymorphism and the susceptibility to ischemic stroke in a Chinese population. The polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism technique was used to detect the genotype of rsl2221497 in the LXRαgene of 300 stroke patients and 300 healthy control subjects. The chi-square test was used to analyze the genotype distribution between the 2 groups. We found that the risk of stroke in carriers with the AA + GA genotype was 2.12-fold higher than that in GG genotype carriers (odds ratio = 2.12, 95% confidence interval: 1.58-2.99, P < 0.05). The risk of stroke in carriers of the A allele increased by 1.03-fold compared to that in G allele carriers (odds ratio = 2.03, 95% confidence interval: 1.44-3.01, P < 0.01). After adjusting for other confounding factors such smoking, hypertension, and diabetes, the A allele was found to be an independent risk factor for stroke. Therefore, the rsl2221497 polymorphism in the LXRαgene was associated with the susceptibility to stroke in a Chinese population. Show less

Two genes encoding protein components of the nuclear pore complex Nup160 and Nup96 cause lethality in F2-like hybrid genotypes between Drosophila simulans and Drosophila melanogaster. In particular, D. simulans Nup160 and Nup96 each cause inviability when hemizygous or homozygous in species hybrids that are also hemizygous (or homozygous) for the D. melanogaster X chromosome. The hybrid lethality of Nup160, however, is genetically complex, depending on one or more unknown additional factors in the autosomal background. Here we study the genetics and evolution of Nup160-mediated hybrid lethality in three ways. First, we test for variability in Nup160-mediated hybrid lethality within and among the three species of the D. simulans clade- D. simulans, D. sechellia, and D. mauritiana. We show that the hybrid lethality of Nup160 is fixed in D. simulans and D. sechellia but absent in D. mauritiana. Second, we explore how the hybrid lethality of Nup160 depends on other loci in the autosomal background. We find that D. simulans Nup160-mediated hybrid lethality does not depend on the presence of D. melanogaster Nup96, and we find that D. simulans and D. mauritiana are functionally differentiated at Nup160 as well as at other autosomal factor(s). Finally, we use population genetics data to show that Nup160 has experienced histories of recurrent positive selection both before and after the split of the three D. simulans clade species ∼240,000 years ago. Our genetic results suggest that a hybrid lethal Nup160 allele evolved before the split of the three D. simulans clade species, whereas the other autosomal factor(s) evolved more recently. Show less

MicroRNA-452 (miRNA-452) was overexpressed in docetaxel-resistant human breast cancer MCF-7 cells (MCF-7/DOC). However, its role in modulating the sensitivity of breast cancer cells to docetaxel (DOC) remains unclear. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of miRNA-452 in the sensitivity of breast cancer cells to DOC.Real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) were used to identify the differential expression of miRNA-452 between MCF-7/DOC and MCF-7 cells. MiRNA-452 mimic was transfected into MCF-7 cells and miRNA-452 inhibitor was transfected into MCF-7/DOC cells. The role of miRNA-452 in these transfected cells was evaluated using RT-qPCR, MTT assay, and flow cytometry assay. The relationship of miRNA-452 and its predictive target gene "anaphase-promoting complex 4" (APC4) was analyzed by RT-qPCR and Western blot.MiRNA-452 showed significantly higher expression (78.9-folds) in MCF-7/DOC cells compared to parental MCF-7 cells. The expression of miRNA-452 in the mimic transfected MCF-7 cells was upregulated 212.2-folds (P < 0.05) compared to its negative control (NC), and the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of DOC (1.98 ± 0.15 μM) was significantly higher than that in its NC (0.85 ± 0.08 μM, P < 0.05) or blank control (1.01 ± 0.19 μM, P < 0.05). Furthermore, its apoptotic rate (6.3 ± 1.3 %) was distinctly decreased compared with that in its NC (23.8 ± 6.6 %, P < 0.05) or blank control (18.6 ± 4.7 %, P < 0.05). In contrast, the expression of miRNA-452 in the inhibitor-transfected MCF-7/DOC cells was downregulated 0.58-fold (P < 0.05) compared to its NC, the IC50 value of DOC (44.5 ± 3.2 μM) was significantly lower than that in its NC (107.3 ± 6.63 μM, P < 0.05) or blank control (102.22 ± 11.34 μM, P < 0.05), and the apoptotic rate (45.5 ± 10.8 %) was distinctly increased compared with its NC (9.9 ± 2.2 %, P < 0.05) and blank control (9.4 ± 2.5 %, P < 0.05). Further, there was an inverse association between miRNA-452 and APC4 expression in breast cancer cells in vitro.Dysregulation of miRNA-452 involved in the DOC resistance formation of breast cancer cells may be, in part, via targeting APC4. Show less

Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) is a key enzyme in lipid metabolism and responsible for catalyzing lipolysis of triglycerides in lipoproteins. LPL is produced mainly in adipose tissue, skeletal and heart muscle, as well as in macrophage and other tissues. After synthesized, it is secreted and translocated to the vascular lumen. LPL expression and activity are regulated by a variety of factors, such as transcription factors, interactive proteins and nutritional state through complicated mechanisms. LPL with different distributions may exert distinct functions and have diverse roles in human health and disease with close association with atherosclerosis. It may pose a pro-atherogenic or an anti-atherogenic effect depending on its locations. In this review, we will discuss its gene, protein, synthesis, transportation and biological functions, and then focus on its regulation and relationship with atherosclerosis and potential underlying mechanisms. The goal of this review is to provide basic information and novel insight for further studies and therapeutic targets. Show less

The genetic background of ischemic vascular disease is actively being explored. Several studies have shown that inhibition of APOC3 significantly reduces plasma levels of apolipoprotein C3 and triglycerides. Recently, the TG and HDL Working Group and Jørgensen et al. reported that loss-of-function mutations in APOC3 are associated with decreased triglyceride levels and a reduced risk of ischemic vascular disease in European and African individuals. We performed a replication study in 4470 Chinese participants. The coding regions of APOC3 were amplified and re-sequenced. However, only synonymous and intronic variants with no functional consequences were identified. None of the loss-of-function mutations reported in European and African individuals were observed. Therefore, APOC3 may not be an ideal predictor for risk of ischemic vascular disease in the Chinese population. Show less

Plasma triglyceride levels are heritable and are correlated with the risk of coronary heart disease. Sequencing of the protein-coding regions of the human genome (the exome) has the potential to identify rare mutations that have a large effect on phenotype. We sequenced the protein-coding regions of 18,666 genes in each of 3734 participants of European or African ancestry in the Exome Sequencing Project. We conducted tests to determine whether rare mutations in coding sequence, individually or in aggregate within a gene, were associated with plasma triglyceride levels. For mutations associated with triglyceride levels, we subsequently evaluated their association with the risk of coronary heart disease in 110,970 persons. An aggregate of rare mutations in the gene encoding apolipoprotein C3 (APOC3) was associated with lower plasma triglyceride levels. Among the four mutations that drove this result, three were loss-of-function mutations: a nonsense mutation (R19X) and two splice-site mutations (IVS2+1G→A and IVS3+1G→T). The fourth was a missense mutation (A43T). Approximately 1 in 150 persons in the study was a heterozygous carrier of at least one of these four mutations. Triglyceride levels in the carriers were 39% lower than levels in noncarriers (P<1×10(-20)), and circulating levels of APOC3 in carriers were 46% lower than levels in noncarriers (P=8×10(-10)). The risk of coronary heart disease among 498 carriers of any rare APOC3 mutation was 40% lower than the risk among 110,472 noncarriers (odds ratio, 0.60; 95% confidence interval, 0.47 to 0.75; P=4×10(-6)). Rare mutations that disrupt APOC3 function were associated with lower levels of plasma triglycerides and APOC3. Carriers of these mutations were found to have a reduced risk of coronary heart disease. (Funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and others.). Show less

While the adult human heart has very limited regenerative potential, the adult zebrafish heart can fully regenerate after 20% ventricular resection. Although previous reports suggest that developmental signaling pathways such as FGF and PDGF are reused in adult heart regeneration, the underlying intracellular mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here we show that H2O2 acts as a novel epicardial and myocardial signal to prime the heart for regeneration in adult zebrafish. Live imaging of intact hearts revealed highly localized H2O2 (~30 μM) production in the epicardium and adjacent compact myocardium at the resection site. Decreasing H2O2 formation with the Duox inhibitors diphenyleneiodonium (DPI) or apocynin, or scavenging H2O2 by catalase overexpression markedly impaired cardiac regeneration while exogenous H2O2 rescued the inhibitory effects of DPI on cardiac regeneration, indicating that H2O2 is an essential and sufficient signal in this process. Mechanistically, elevated H2O2 destabilized the redox-sensitive phosphatase Dusp6 and hence increased the phosphorylation of Erk1/2. The Dusp6 inhibitor BCI achieved similar pro-regenerative effects while transgenic overexpression of dusp6 impaired cardiac regeneration. H2O2 plays a dual role in recruiting immune cells and promoting heart regeneration through two relatively independent pathways. We conclude that H2O2 potentially generated from Duox/Nox2 promotes heart regeneration in zebrafish by unleashing MAP kinase signaling through a derepression mechanism involving Dusp6. Show less

The MAPK phosphatases (MKPs) are a family of dual-specificity phosphatases (DUSPs) that can dephosphorylate both phosphothreonine and phosphotyrosine residues, thus inactivating MAPK signaling. DUSP6 is a cytoplasmic MKP that can inactivate ERK. DUSP6 has been implicated in the development of some tumors. The aim of this research was to investigate the expression of DUSP6 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the correlation of DUSP6 with mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), clinicopathological characteristics, and prognosis. Tissues from 305 patients who had undergone hepatectomy for HCC was used in this study. The expression of DUSP6, p-ERK, p-JNK, and p-p38α was determined using tissue microarrays for immunohistochemical analysis. The prognostic value of DUSP6 and other clinicopathological factors were evaluated. The expression of DUSP6 was significantly higher in the tumor tissue when compared to the peritumor or normal liver tissue (P < 0.001). Tumor DUSP6 expression was significantly associated with disease-free survival (DFS) (P = 0.013). Tumor DUSP6 expression was an independent prognostic factor for DFS (Hazard ratio = 1.635, P = 0.006). DUSP6 is over expressed in tumor tissue compared to peritumor or normal liver tissue. Higher expression of DUSP6 in tumor tissue, than in peritumor tissue, is associated with the recurrence after curative resection of HCC, and the relative tumor DUSP6 expression has good power to predict the recurrence of HCC. Show less