👤 Chongjing Shi

Despite advances in colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment, most advanced CRC patients who experience disease progression after chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy face a situation in which there is no available medicine. Thus, new therapeutic drugs for CRC are urgently needed. Studies have shown that cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) has a vital role in tumor development and is a possible target for CRC therapy. We found that Evacetrapib, a CETP inhibitor, suppressed CRC cell growth by inhibiting the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and activating the c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathway in CRC. Therefore, Evacetrapib displays an anti-cancer effect and is a possible option for treating CRC. Show less

To explore the correlation of cytochrome B-245 alpha chain ( The study was a case-control trial. A total of 372 GAgP patients and 133 periodontally healthy controls were recruited. The The mean age of GAgP group and control group was (27.5±5.2) years and (28.8±7.1) years respectively. There was significant difference in age between the two groups ( Show less

RNA G-quadruplex (rG4) structures in the 5' untranslated region (5'UTR) play crucial roles in fundamental cellular processes. ADAR is an important enzyme that binds to double-strand RNA and accounts for the conversion of Adenosine to Inosine in RNA editing. However, so far there is no report on the formation and regulatory role of rG4 on ADAR expression. Here, we identify and characterize a thermostable rG4 structure within the 5'UTR of the ADAR1 mRNA and demonstrate its formation and inhibitory role on translation in reporter gene and native gene constructs. We reveal rG4-specific helicase DHX36 interacts with this rG4 in vitro and in cells under knockdown and knockout conditions by GTFH (G-quadruplex-triggered fluorogenic hybridization) probes and modulates translation in an rG4-dependent manner. Our results further substantiate the rG4 structure-DHX36 protein interaction in cells and highlight rG4 to be a key player in controlling ADAR1 translation. Show less

Postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) is known as one of the prevalent diseases among middle-aged and elderly women. This paper revolves around the alteration of miR-211-5p in PMOP patients and its function in osteogenic differentiation. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was implemented to check the miR-211-5p level in the plasma of PMOP patients. Knockdown and overexpression experiments were done to verify the influence of miR-211-5p on human-derived mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) osteogenic differentiation and osteogenesis. The alkaline phosphatase (ALP) assay kit was taken to test ALP activity. Alizarin red staining monitored osteogenic differentiation, while oil red O staining examined adipogenesis. Western blot confirmed the profiles of osteoclastogenesis-concerned factors (TRAP, NFAT2, c-FOS, Runx2, OCN, CTSK), dual specific phosphatase 6 (DUSP6), ERK, SMAD, and β-catenin. Dual-luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation assays were implemented to identify the association between miR-211-5p and DUSP6. Our data displayed that miR-211-5p was down-regulated in the PMOP patients' plasma (in contrast with the healthy controls), and it was positively correlated with Vit-D and BMD levels. miR-211-5p overexpression vigorously facilitated hMSC osteogenic differentiation, while miR-211-5p inhibition contributed to the opposite situation. miR-211-5p initiated the ERK/SMAD/β-catenin pathway and repressed DUSP6's expression. Overexpression of DUSP6 counteracted the miR-211-5p-mediated function to a great extent and inactivated ERK/SMAD/β-catenin, whereas enhancing ERK phosphorylation weakened the DUSP6 overexpression-induced function. Consequently, this research unveiled that miR-211-5p promotes osteogenic differentiation by interfering with the DUSP6-mediated ERK/SMAD/β-catenin pathway. Show less

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignancy with a dismal survival rate. The novel autoantibodies panel may provide new insights for the diagnosis of HCC. Biomarkers screened by two methods (bioinformatics and the antigen-antibody system) were taken as candidate tumor-associated antigens (TAAs). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the corresponding autoantibodies in 888 samples of verification and validation cohorts. The verification cohort was used to verify the autoantibodies. Samples in the validation cohort were randomly divided into a train set and a test set with the ratio of 6:4. A diagnostic model was established by support vector machines within the train set. The test set further verified the model. Eleven TAAs were selected (AAGAB, C17orf75, CDC37L1, DUSP6, EID3, PDIA2, RGS20, PCNA, TAF7L, TBC1D13, and ZIC2). The titer of six autoantibodies (PCNA, AAGAB, CDC37L1, TAF7L, DUSP6, and ZIC2) had a significant difference in any of the pairwise comparisons among the HCC, liver cirrhosis, and normal control groups. The titer of these autoantibodies had an increasing tendency. Finally, an optimum diagnostic model was constructed with the six autoantibodies. The AUCs were 0.826 in the train set and 0.773 in the test set. The area under the curve (AUC) of this panel for diagnosing early HCC was 0.889. The diagnostic ability of the panel reduced with the progress of HCC. The positive rate of the panel in diagnosing alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)-negative patients was 75.6%. For early HCC, the sensitivity of the combination of AFP with the panel was 90.9% and superior to 53.2% of AFP alone. The novel immunodiagnosis panel combining AFP may be a new approach for the diagnosis of HCC, especially for early-HCC cases. Show less

To identify the pathogenic gene variation in a Chinese family with Hereditary Multiple Exostoses (HME). By examining blood-sourced DNA and clinical manifestations of the proband and his family members, the whole exome sequencing (WES) and Sanger sequencing were used to detect possibly pathogenic mutations. A novel heterozygous mutation (c.325dup) was identified in exon 1 of the Show less

Background Ischemic stroke is likely caused by interactions of multiple genes and environmental determinants. However, large-scale sequencing studies to discern functional genetic variants and their interactions with clinical and lifestyle risk factors on ischemic stroke are limited. Methods and Results We sequenced functional regions of 740 previously identified genes associated with atherosclerotic disease among 999 ischemic stroke cases and 1001 controls of Chinese ancestry. Multiple logistic regression models were used to examine the associations between variants and ischemic stroke and test interactions between variants and clinical and lifestyle risk factors. Functional variants achieving suggestive significance were replicated in an independent sample of 4724 ischemic stroke cases and 5029 controls. Driven by variant main effects, each minor allele of the correlated rs174535, rs174545, and rs3834458 variants at Show less

Delta-5 desaturase (D5D), encoded by the fatty acid desaturase 1 (FADS1) gene, is a rate-limiting enzyme in polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) synthesis that influences the PUFA levels in milk fat. However, the function and molecular mechanism of FADS1 in milk fat metabolism remain largely unknown. The Show less

In this study, we evaluated the roles of heat-induced circEZH2 in the regulation of milk fat metabolism. CircEZH2 overexpression increased HC11 cell proliferation and decreased apoptosis. These changes were accompanied by increased expression of proliferation marker proteins (PCNA, Cyclin D, and Cyclin E) and the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl2, while expression of the pro-apoptotic proteins Bax and cleaved-caspase was reduced. SiRNA-mediated silencing of EZH2 in HC11 cells had the opposite effects. CircEZH2 overexpression promoted the uptake of a fluorescent fatty acid (Bodipy) as well as expression of the fatty acid transport-related protein CD36, lipolysis-related protein LPL, and unsaturated fatty acid metabolism-related proteins FADS1 and SCD1. Dual luciferase reporter assays verified the targeting relationship of the two ceRNA networks, circEZH2-miR378b-LPL and circEZH2-miR378b-CD36. This information provides further clarification of the role of circRNAs in milk fat regulation in addition to a theoretical basis for alleviating the effects of heat stress on milk production by dairy cows. Show less

The initiation and progression of allergic asthma (AA) are associated with complex interactions between inflammation and immune response. Herein, we report the specific mechanisms underlying the molecular action of interferon (IFN)- Show less

Aberrant RNA splicing in keratinocytes drives inflammatory skin disorders. In the present study, we found that the RNA helicase DDX5 was downregulated in keratinocytes from the inflammatory skin lesions in patients with atopic dermatitis and psoriasis, and that mice with keratinocyte-specific deletion of Ddx5 (Ddx5 Show less

To study the significance of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-27 (IL-27) in the differential diagnosis of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS) in preterm infants. The preterm infants with the manifestation of respiratory distress who were treated in the Neonatal Diagnosis and Treatment Center, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, from March to November 2021, were enrolled in this prospective study. According to the diagnosis results, they were divided into two groups: ARDS group ( The ARDS group had significantly higher plasma levels of IL-6 and IL-27 than the NRDS group ( Plasma IL-6 and IL-27 can be used as biological indicators for early differential diagnosis of ARDS and NRDS in preterm infants. Show less

Decidualization is an intricate biological process in which extensive remodeling of the endometrium occurs to support the development of an implanting blastocyst. However, the immunometabolic mechanisms underlying this process are still largely unknown. We found that the decidualization process is accompanied by the accumulation of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate (FBP). The combination of FBP with pyruvate kinase M stimulated IL-27 secretion by endometrial stromal cells in an ERK/c-FOS-dependent manner. IL-27 induced decidual COX-2 Show less

Agricultural use of neonicotinoid insecticides, neuroactive nitroguanidine compounds, has been detected everywhere in the global, posing significant hazard to nontarget organisms. This work studied the developmental neurotoxicity of zebrafish larvae exposed to imidacloprid (IMI) and thiamethoxam (THM), ranging from 0.05 µg L Show less

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) remains one of the most lethal malignancies with an increasing incidence globally. Through whole-exome sequencing of 67 CCA tissues, we identified new mutated genes in CCA, including MACF1, METTL14, ROBO1, and so on. The study was designed to explore the effects and mechanism of ROBO1 wild type (ROBO1 Whole-exome sequencing was performed to identify novel mutations in CCAs. Through whole-exome sequencing, we identified a novel CCA-related mutation, ROBO1 These results suggest that ROBO1 may act as a tumor suppressor and potential prognostic marker for CCA. ROBO1 Show less

The folded mitochondria inner membrane-cristae is the structural foundation for oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and energy production. By mechanically simulating mitochondria morphogenesis, we speculate that efficient sculpting of the cristae is organelle non-autonomous. It has long been inferred that folding requires buckling in living systems. However, the tethering force for cristae formation and regulation has not been identified. Combining electron tomography, proteomics strategies, super resolution live cell imaging and mathematical modeling, we reveal that the mitochondria localized actin motor-myosin 19 (Myo19) is critical for maintaining cristae structure, by associating with the SAM-MICOS super complex. We discover that depletion of Myo19 or disruption of its motor activity leads to altered mitochondria membrane potential and decreased OXPHOS. We propose that Myo19 may act as a mechanical tether for effective ridging of the mitochondria cristae, thus sustaining the energy homeostasis essential for various cellular functions. Show less

INTRODUCTION The nuclear pore complex (NPC) resides on the nuclear envelope (NE) and mediates nucleocytoplasmic cargo transport. As one of the largest cellular machineries, a vertebrate NPC consists of cytoplasmic filaments, a cytoplasmic ring (CR), an inner ring, a nuclear ring, a nuclear basket, and a luminal ring. Each NPC has eight repeating subunits. Structure determination of NPC is a prerequisite for understanding its functional mechanism. In the past two decades, integrative modeling, which combines x-ray structures of individual nucleoporins and subcomplexes with cryo-electron tomography reconstructions, has played a crucial role in advancing our knowledge about the NPC. The CR has been a major focus of structural investigation. The CR subunit of human NPC was reconstructed by cryo-electron tomography through subtomogram averaging to an overall resolution of ~20 Å, with local resolution up to ~15 Å. Each CR subunit comprises two Y-shaped multicomponent complexes known as the inner and outer Y complexes. Eight inner and eight outer Y complexes assemble in a head-to-tail fashion to form the proximal and distal rings, respectively, constituting the CR scaffold. To achieve higher resolution of the CR, we used single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to image the intact NPC from the NE of Show less

Nuclear pore complex (NPC) shuttles cargo across the nuclear envelope. Here we present single-particle cryo-EM structure of the nuclear ring (NR) subunit from Xenopus laevis NPC at an average resolution of 5.6 Å. The NR subunit comprises two 10-membered Y complexes, each with the nucleoporin ELYS closely associating with Nup160 and Nup37 of the long arm. Unlike the cytoplasmic ring (CR) or inner ring (IR), the NR subunit contains only one molecule each of Nup205 and Nup93. Nup205 binds both arms of the Y complexes and interacts with the stem of inner Y complex from the neighboring subunit. Nup93 connects the stems of inner and outer Y complexes within the same NR subunit, and places its N-terminal extended helix into the axial groove of Nup205 from the neighboring subunit. Together with other structural information, we have generated a composite atomic model of the central ring scaffold that includes the NR, IR, and CR. The IR is connected to the two outer rings mainly through Nup155. This model facilitates functional understanding of vertebrate NPC. Show less

Gastric cancer (GC), as one of the most common malignancies across the globe, is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Though a large body of research has been conducted to develop the therapeutic methods of GC, the survival rate of advanced patients is still poor. We aimed to dig into the potential regulatory mechanism of GC progression. Bioinformatics tools and fundamental assays were performed at first to confirm the candidate genes in our study. The functional assays and mechanism experiments were conducted to verify the regulatory mechanisms of the genes underlying GC progression. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) SND1 intronic transcript 1 (SND1-IT1) is highly expressed in exosomes secreted by GC cells. SND1-IT1 was verified to bind to microRNA-1245b-5p (miR-1245b-5p) through competitive adsorption to promote ubiquitin specific protease 3 (USP3) messenger RNA (mRNA) expression. SND1-IT1 was validated to recruit DEAD-box helicase 54 (DDX54) to promote USP3 mRNA stability. SND1-IT1 induces malignant transformation of GES-1 cells through USP3. USP3 mediates the deubiquitination of snail family transcriptional repressor 1 (SNAIL1). Exosome-mediated lncRNA SND1-IT1 from GC cells enhances malignant transformation of GES-1 cells via up-regulating SNAIL1. Show less

To explore whether acupuncture combined with moxibustion could inhibit epithelialmesenchymal transition in Crohn's disease by affecting the transforming growth factor β 1 (TGF- β 1)/Smad3/Snail pathway. Sixty-three patients with Crohn's disease were randomly divided into an observation group (31 cases) receiving moxibustion at 43 °C combined with acupuncture, and a control group (32 cases) receiving moxibustion at 37 °C combined with sham acupuncture using a random number table. Patients were treated for 12 weeks. Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) was used to evaluate disease activity. Hematoxylin-eosin staining and transmission electron microscopy were utilized to observe the morphological and ultrastructural changes. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of transforming growth factor β 1 (TGF-β 1), T β R1, T β R2, Smad3, Snail, E-cadherin and fibronectin in intestinal mucosal tissues. The decrease of the CDAI score, morphological and ultrastructural changes were more significant in observation group. The expression levels of TGF- β 1, Tβ R2, Smad3, and Snail in the observation group were significantly lower than those before the treatment (P<0.05 or P<0.01). After treatment, the expression levels of TGF-β 1, TβR2, and Snail in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group (all P<0.05); compared with the control group, the expression of fibronectin in the observation group was significantly decreased, and the expression of E-cadherin was significantly increased (all P<0.05). Moxibustion at 43 °C combined with acupuncture may suppress TGF-β 1/Smad3/Snail pathway-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition of intestinal epithelial cells in Crohn's disease patients by inhibiting the expression levels of TGF-β 1, Tβ R2, Smad3, and Snail. (Registration No. ChiCTR-IIR-16007751). Show less

Partial epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (pEMT) contributes to cellular heterogeneity that is associated with nodal metastases and unfavorable clinical parameters in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs). We developed a single-cell RNA sequencing signature-based pEMT quantification through cell type-dependent deconvolution of bulk RNA sequencing and microarray data combined with single-sample scoring of molecular phenotypes (Singscoring). Clinical pEMT-Singscores served as molecular classifiers in multivariable Cox proportional hazard models and high scores prognosticated poor overall survival and reduced response to irradiation as independent parameters in large HNSCC cohorts [The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), MD Anderson Cancer Centre (MDACC), Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC)]. Differentially expressed genes confirmed enhanced cell motility and reduced oxidative phosphorylation and epithelial differentiation in pEMT Show less

Oxidative stress-associated endothelial damage is the initiation factor of cardiovascular disease, and protein posttranslational modifications play critical roles in this process. Bcl-2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) is a molecular chaperone regulator of the BAG family, which interacts with various proteins and influences cell survival by activating multiple pathways. BAG3 undergoes posttranslational modifications; however, research evaluating BAG3 acetylation and its regulatory mechanism is lacking. In addition, the interacting protein and regulatory mechanism of BAG3 in oxidative stress-associated endothelial damage remain unclear. Here, key molecular interactions and protein modifications of BAG3 were identified in oxidative stress-associated endothelial damage. Endothelial-specific BAG3 knockout in the mouse model starkly enhances oxidative stress-associated endothelial damage and vascular remodeling, while BAG3 overexpression in mice significantly relieves this process. Mechanistically, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1), causing oxidative stress, was identified as a novel physiological substrate of BAG3. Indeed, BAG3 binds to PARP1's BRCT domain to promote its ubiquitination (K249 residue) by enhancing the E3 ubiquitin ligase WWP2, which leads to proteasome-induced PARP1 degradation. Furthermore, we surprisingly found that BAG3 represents a new substrate of the acetyltransferase CREB-binding protein (CBP) and the deacetylase Sirtuin 2 (SIRT2) under physiological conditions. CBP/SIRT2 interacted with BAG3 and acetylated/deacetylated BAG3's K431 residue. Finally, deacetylated BAG3 promoted the ubiquitination of PARP1. This work reveals a novel regulatory system, with deacetylation-dependent regulation of BAG3 promoting PARP1 ubiquitination and degradation via enhancing WWP2, which is one possible mechanism to decrease vulnerability of oxidative stress in endothelial cells. Show less

Targeted radionuclide therapy (TRT) provides new and safe opportunities for cancer treatment and management with high precision and efficiency. Here we have designed a novel semiconducting polymer nanoparticle (SPN)-based radiopharmaceutical ( Show less