"Lipotoxicity" induced by free fatty acids (FAs) plays a central role in the pathogenesis of many metabolic diseases, with few treatment options available today. Hydrogen sulfide (H
A further understanding of the molecular mechanism of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is necessary to predict a patient's prognosis and develop new targeted gene drugs. This study aims to identify esse Show more
A further understanding of the molecular mechanism of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is necessary to predict a patient's prognosis and develop new targeted gene drugs. This study aims to identify essential genes related to HCC. We used the Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) and differential gene expression analysis to analyze the gene expression profile of GSE45114 in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and The Cancer Genome Atlas database (TCGA). A total of 37 overlapping genes were extracted from four groups of results. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway and Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analyses were performed on the 37 overlapping genes. Then, we used the STRING database to map the protein interaction (PPI) network of 37 overlapping genes. Ten hub genes were screened according to the Maximal Clique Centrality (MCC) score using the Cytohubba plugin of Cytoscape (including FOS, EGR1, EPHA2, DUSP1, IGFBP3, SOCS2, ID1, DUSP6, MT1G, and MT1H). Most hub genes show a significant association with immune infiltration types and tumor stemness of microenvironment in HCC. According to Univariate Cox regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier survival estimation, SOCS2 was positively correlated with overall survival (OS), and IGFBP3 was negatively correlated with OS. Moreover, the expression of IGFBP3 increased with the increase of the clinical stage, while the expression of SOCS2 decreased with the increase of the clinical stage. In conclusion, our findings suggest that SOCS2 and IGFBP3 may play an essential role in the development of HCC and may serve as a potential biomarker for future diagnosis and treatment. Show less
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) modulate a variety of cancerous biological processes, including the promotion of tumorigenicity in tumor parenchymal cells. However, there is a lack of studies assessing Show more
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) modulate a variety of cancerous biological processes, including the promotion of tumorigenicity in tumor parenchymal cells. However, there is a lack of studies assessing the regulation of lncRNAs in cancer-associated fibroblasts. In the present study, a novel lncRNA, TIRY, was found to act as a miRNA sponge and to downregulate miR-14 expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Fluorescence This study demonstrated the novel lncRNA, TIRY, enhances epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in cancer-associated fibroblasts and promotes the metastasis of tumor via miR-14 sponging in oral squamous cell carcinoma, and thus provide a novel molecular mechanism underlying the role of TIRY in CAFs in tumor biology and a potential target in OSCC. Further, the data showed that TIRY expression was negatively correlated with miR-14 transcription levels and was associated with poor prognosis in OSCC specimens. Therefore, TIRY may be a potential prognostic biomarker of overall survival and progression-free survival in OSCC. Moreover, TIRY adds to the understanding of regulatory mechanisms involved in CAFs and epithelial cancer cells in OSCC and may provide novel insights for further understanding tumor biology. Show less
10-Hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10-HDA), also known as royal jelly acid, has a variety of physiological functions, and recent studies have shown that it also has anticancer effects. However, its anticance Show more
10-Hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10-HDA), also known as royal jelly acid, has a variety of physiological functions, and recent studies have shown that it also has anticancer effects. However, its anticancer mechanisms have not been clearly defined. In this study, we investigated the underlying mechanisms of 10-HDA in A549 human lung cancer cells. We used Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, scratch wound healing assay, flow cytometry, and western blot analysis to investigate its apoptotic effects and underlying mechanism. Our results showed that 10-HDA inhibited the proliferation of three types of human lung cancer cells and had no significant toxic effects on normal cells. Accompanying reactive oxygen species (ROS), 10-HDA induced A549 cell apoptosis by regulating mitochondrial-associated apoptosis, and caused cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase in a time-dependent manner. Meanwhile, 10-HDA also regulated mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), and nuclear factor kappa B (NF- Show less
Melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) was considered as an essential modifiers in feelings intake, the regulation of metabolism and body weight. This study aimed at identifying polymorphisms in MC4R gene tha Show more
Melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) was considered as an essential modifiers in feelings intake, the regulation of metabolism and body weight. This study aimed at identifying polymorphisms in MC4R gene that might associate with carcass quality traits in Chinese indigenous beef cattle breed. qPCR analysis showed that the MC4R gene was widely expressed in various tissues, with predominantly expression levels in heart. Three single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified, including a mutation (g.85A > G) in 5'untranslated regions (UTR) and two mutations (g.927C > T and g.1069C > G) in exon 1. Based on the χ Show less
IL-27 is an anti-inflammatory cytokine that has been shown to have potent anti-tumor activity. We recently reported that systemic delivery of IL-27 using recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) indu Show more
IL-27 is an anti-inflammatory cytokine that has been shown to have potent anti-tumor activity. We recently reported that systemic delivery of IL-27 using recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) induced depletion of Tregs and significantly enhanced the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy in a variety of mouse tumor models. A potential caveat of systemic delivery of IL-27 using rAAV is that there is no practical method to terminate IL-27 production when its biological activity is no longer needed. Therefore, in this work, we tested if directly injecting AAV-IL-27 into tumors could lead to similar anti-tumor effect yet avoiding uncontrolled IL-27 production. We found that high levels of IL-27 was produced in tumors and released to peripheral blood after AAV-IL-27 intra-tumoral injection. AAV-IL-27 local therapy showed potent anti-tumor activity in mice bearing plasmacytoma J558 tumors and modest anti-tumor activity in mice bearing B16.F10 tumors. Intra-tumoral injection of AAV-IL-27 induced infiltration of immune effectors including CD8 Show less
An AP2 family gene CBX1 is involved in mycorrhizal symbiosis and growth of Lotus japonicus. APETALA 2 (AP2) transcriptional regulator is highly conserved in plants. CBX1 from Lotus japonicus is a memb Show more
An AP2 family gene CBX1 is involved in mycorrhizal symbiosis and growth of Lotus japonicus. APETALA 2 (AP2) transcriptional regulator is highly conserved in plants. CBX1 from Lotus japonicus is a member of AP2 family. AMF (Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi) inoculation experiment demonstrated that expression of CBX1 was significantly induced by AMF. Further promoter analysis showed that the - 764 to - 498 bp region of the CBX1 promoter containing CTTC motif is the AMF responsive region. Functional analysis of cbx1 mutant suggested CBX1 is critical for mycorrhizal symbiosis, especially for arbuscule formation. Moreover, under noncolonized condition, overexpression of CBX1 reduced the root length of L. japonicus but increased the size of root system and shoot length, whereas cbx1 mutant reduced the root size and shoot length, but not effect on root length. In addition, cbx1 altered activity of monolignol biosynthetic gene and increased lignin levels. Collectively, these data indicated that CBX1 is a positive regulator of symbiotic activity and plays roles in the growth of L. japonicus. Show less
Interleukin-27 (IL-27), which belongs to IL-12 family, influences the function of T cells (Tregs) through regulating the expression, and function of forkhead box P3 (FoxP3). In this study, we detected Show more
Interleukin-27 (IL-27), which belongs to IL-12 family, influences the function of T cells (Tregs) through regulating the expression, and function of forkhead box P3 (FoxP3). In this study, we detected the IL-27 serum levels in 59 myasthenia gravis (MG) patients and 35 healthy controls (HCs). Among them, 32 MG patients received immunoglobulin intravenous (IVIG) injections (0.4 g/kg per day for 5 consecutive days). IL-27 levels were collected before and after the treatments and subjected to a comparative study. Finally, we assessed the correlations of IL-27 levels with the clinical characteristics of MG. As a result, serum IL-27 levels were significantly higher in MG patients than those in the HCs. Meanwhile, significant reduction was detected after the IVIG treatment. IL-27 levels positively correlated with both MG activities of daily living and quantitative MG score. IL-27 may participate in the pathogenesis of MG and can be used as an early marker for the diagnosis and prognosis of MG. In addition, IL-27 can be used as a target for MG treatment through the regulation of specific immune signaling and maintaining immune homeostasis. Show less
Pathological neovascularization and fibrosis are common pathological changes of many retinal diseases, such as proliferative retinopathy (PR) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Treatment moda Show more
Pathological neovascularization and fibrosis are common pathological changes of many retinal diseases, such as proliferative retinopathy (PR) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Treatment modalities for these pathological changes are limited. The purpose of the present study was to test the effects of palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), an endocannabinoid mimetic amide, on retinal neovascularization and fibrosis and to determine its molecular mechanism of action. A rat Müller cell line (rMC-1), a mouse model of oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR), and the very-low-density lipoprotein receptor (VLDLR) knockout mouse model were used. PEA was intraperitoneally injected or orally administrated in animal models. Inflammation and profibrotic changes were evaluated by western blot analysis. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) were measured by RT-PCR and western blot analysis. Profibrotic changes were present in OIR and Vldlr-/- retinas. PEA significantly alleviated inflammation and inhibited neovascularization in OIR and Vldlr-/- retinas and suppressed profibrotic changes in OIR and Vldlr-/- retinas. Moreover, PEA potently suppressed Müller gliosis in these retinas. In rMC-1 cells, PEA suppressed Müller gliosis, reduced inflammatory cytokines, and attenuated profibrotic changes. Further, both mRNA and protein levels of PPARα were elevated in the retina under PEA treatment, and the effects of PEA were abolished in Pparα-/- OIR mice. PEA reduced retinal neovascularization and fibrotic changes and suppressed Müller gliosis in experimental PR and neovascular AMD by activating PPARα. PEA may be a potential treatment for retinopathies with pathological neovascularization and fibrosis. Show less
Circular RNAs (circRNAs), highly expressed in the central nervous system, are involved in various regulatory processes and implicated in some pathophysiology. However, the potential role of circRNAs i Show more
Circular RNAs (circRNAs), highly expressed in the central nervous system, are involved in various regulatory processes and implicated in some pathophysiology. However, the potential role of circRNAs in psychiatric diseases, particularly major depressive disorder (MDD), remains largely unknown. Here, we demonstrated that circular RNA DYM (circDYM) levels were significantly decreased both in the peripheral blood of patients with MDD and in the two depressive-like mouse models: the chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) models. Restoration of circDYM expression significantly attenuated depressive-like behavior and inhibited microglial activation induced by CUS or LPS treatment. Further examination indicated that circDYM functions as an endogenous microRNA-9 (miR-9) sponge to inhibit miR-9 activity, which results in a downstream increase of target-HECT domain E3 ubiquitin protein ligase 1 (HECTD1) expression, an increase of HSP90 ubiquitination, and a consequent decrease of microglial activation. Taken together, the results of our study demonstrate the involvement of circDYM and its coupling mechanism in depression, providing translational evidence that circDYM may be a novel therapeutic target for depression. Show less
Hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) is a leading cause of acute pancreatitis. HTG can be caused by either primary (genetic) or secondary etiological factors, and there is increasing appreciation of the interpl Show more
Hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) is a leading cause of acute pancreatitis. HTG can be caused by either primary (genetic) or secondary etiological factors, and there is increasing appreciation of the interplay between the two kinds of factors in causing severe HTG. The main aim of this study was to identify the genetic basis of hypertriglyceridemia-induced acute pancreatitis (HTG-AP) in a Chinese family with three affected members (the proband, his mother and older sister). The entire coding and flanking sequences of LPL, APOC2, APOA5, GPIHBP1 and LMF1 genes were analyzed by Sanger sequencing. The newly identified LPL nonsense variant was subjected to functional analysis by means of transfection into HEK-293 T cells followed by Western blot and activity assays. Previously reported pathogenic LPL nonsense variants were collated and compared with respect to genotype and phenotype relationship. We identified a novel nonsense variant, p.Gln118* (c.351C > T), in the LPL gene, which co-segregated with HTG-AP in the Chinese family. We provided in vitro evidence that this variant resulted in a complete functional loss of the affected LPL allele. We highlighted a role of alcohol abuse in modifying the clinical expression of the disease in the proband. Additionally, our survey of 12 previously reported pathogenic LPL nonsense variants (in 20 carriers) revealed that neither serum triglyceride levels nor occurrence of HTG-AP was distinguishable among the three carrier groups, namely, simple homozygotes, compound heterozygotes and simple heterozygotes. Our findings, taken together, generated new insights into the complex etiology and expression of HTG-AP. Show less
Extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) have been implicated as important regulators of metabolic homeostasis. Here we generated a new mouse model with genetic deletion of two ERK1/2 ph Show more
Extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) have been implicated as important regulators of metabolic homeostasis. Here we generated a new mouse model with genetic deletion of two ERK1/2 phosphatases, dual specificity phosphatase (DUSP) 6 and 8, to further define the role of ERK1/2 in obesity development. Dusp6/8 double-null mice demonstrated elevated ERK1/2 phosphorylation in multiple tissues, without any change of phosphorylation of p38 and c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNKs). Elevated ERK1/2 activity in Dusp6/8 double-null mice was associated with larger hearts and other organs, consistent with greater rate of cell proliferation in these mice. However, ERK1/2 activation was not sufficient to protect the mouse hearts from pathological hypertrophy and interstitial fibrosis following angiotensin II and phenylephrine stimulation. Interestingly, mice lacking DUSP6/8 were resistant to high-fat diet-induced obesity. Serum triglyceride, lipid content in the liver and visceral adipose tissues was also dramatically reduced in Dusp6/8 double-null mice. Furthermore, Dusp6/8 double-null mice had improved glucose tolerance. Mechanistically, we found out that elevated ERK1/2 activity increased the expression levels of genes involved in lipid metabolism and glucose homeostasis. Together, our data suggest that ERK1/2 play an essential role for the management of metabolic homeostasis. Show less
In Saccharomyces cerevisiae under conditions of nutrient stress, meiosis precedes the formation of spores. Although the molecular mechanisms that regulate meiosis, such as meiotic recombination and nu Show more
In Saccharomyces cerevisiae under conditions of nutrient stress, meiosis precedes the formation of spores. Although the molecular mechanisms that regulate meiosis, such as meiotic recombination and nuclear divisions, have been extensively studied, the metabolic factors that determine the efficiency of sporulation are less understood. Here, we have directly assessed the relationship between metabolic stores and sporulation in S. cerevisiae by genetically disrupting the synthetic pathways for the carbohydrate stores, glycogen (gsy1/2Δ cells), trehalose (tps1Δ cells), or both (gsy1/2Δ and tps1Δ cells). We show that storage carbohydrate-deficient strains are highly inefficient in sporulation. Although glycogen and trehalose stores can partially compensate for each other, they have differential effects on sporulation rate and spore number. Interestingly, deletion of the G Show less
Little is known about the correlation between the melanocortin 4 receptor gene (MC4R) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and the risk of obesity. This research sought to test the MC4R rs17782313, Show more
Little is known about the correlation between the melanocortin 4 receptor gene (MC4R) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and the risk of obesity. This research sought to test the MC4R rs17782313, rs476828 and rs12970134 SNPs, their haplotypes and gene-environment interactions on the risk of obesity in the Maonan ethnic group, an isolated minority in China. A case-control study comprised of 1836 participants (obesity group, 858; and control group, 978) was conducted. Genotypes of the three SNPs were determined by the next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology. The genotypic frequencies of the three SNPs were different between the obesity and control groups (P < 0.05 for all). The minor allelic frequency of the MC4R rs17782313C, rs476828C and rs12970134A was higher in obesity than in control groups (13.8% vs. 8.3%, P < 0.001, 17.1% vs. 10.9%, P < 0.001; and 15.5% vs. 11.5%, P < 0.001; respectively). Additionally, the dominant model of rs17782313 and rs476828 SNPs revealed an increased morbidity function on the risk of obesity (P < 0.05). A correlation between SNP-environment and the risk of obesity was also observed. The rs17782313C-rs476828C-rs12970134A haplotype was associated with high risk of obesity (OR = 1.796, 95% CI = 1.447-2.229), whereas the rs17782313T-rs476828T-rs12970134G and rs17782313T-rs476828T-rs12970134A haplotypes were associated with low risk of obesity (OR = 0.699, 95% CI = 0.586-0.834 and OR = 0.620, 95% CI = 0.416-0.925; respectively). The interactions between haplotype and waist circumference on the risk of obesity were also noted. We discovered that the MC4R rs17782313, rs476828 and rs12970134 SNPs and their haplotypes were associated with the risk of obesity in the Chinese Maonan population. Show less
Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is the main subtype of esophageal cancer in China, and the prognosis of patients remains poor mainly due to the occurrence of lymph node and distant metastasi Show more
Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is the main subtype of esophageal cancer in China, and the prognosis of patients remains poor mainly due to the occurrence of lymph node and distant metastasis. The long non‑coding RNA (lncRNA) maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3) has been shown to have tumor‑suppressive properties and to play an important role in epithelial‑to‑mesenchymal transition (EMT) in some solid tumors. However, whether MEG3 is involved in EMT in ESCC remains unclear. In the present study, the MEG3 expression level and its association with tumorigenesis were determined in 43 tumor tissues of patients with ESCC and in ESCC cells using reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR analysis. Gene microarray analysis was performed to detect differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Based on the functional annotation results, the effects of ectopic expression of MEG3 on cell growth, migration, invasion and EMT were assessed. MEG3 expression level was found to be markedly lower in tumor tissues and cells. Statistical analysis revealed that MEG3 expression was significantly negatively associated with lymph node metastasis and TNM stage in ESCC. Fluorescence in situ hybridization assay demonstrated that MEG3 was expressed mainly in the nucleus. Ectopic expression of MEG3 inhibited cell proliferation, migration, invasion and cell cycle progression in EC109 cells. Gene microarray results demonstrated that 177 genes were differentially expressed ≥2.0 fold in MEG3‑overexpressing cells, including 23 upregulated and 154 downregulated genes. Functional annotation revealed that the DEGs were mainly involved in amino acid biosynthetic process, mitogen‑activated protein kinase signaling, and serine and glycine metabolism. Further experiments indicated that the ectopic expression of MEG3 significantly suppressed cell proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT by downregulating phosphoserine aminotransferase 1 (PSAT1). In pathological tissues, PSAT1 and MEG3 were significantly negatively correlated, and high expression of PSAT1 predicted poor survival. Taken together, these results suggest that MEG3 may be a useful prognostic biomarker and may suppress EMT by inhibiting the PSAT1‑dependent glycogen synthase kinase‑3β/Snail signaling pathway in ESCC. Show less
The existence of cancer stem cells (CSCs) accounts for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treatment resistance, relapse, and metastasis. Although the elimination of cancer stem cells is crucial for cancer Show more
The existence of cancer stem cells (CSCs) accounts for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treatment resistance, relapse, and metastasis. Although the elimination of cancer stem cells is crucial for cancer treatment, strategies for their elimination are limited. Here, we report that a remarkable increase in PIK3C3 was detected in HCC tissues and liver CSCs. Upregulated PIK3C3 facilitated liver CSC expansion in HCC cells; RNA interference-mediated silencing of PIK3C3 had an opposite effect. Furthermore, PIK3C3 inhibition by inhibitors effectively eliminated liver CSCs and inhibited the growth of tumors in vivo. The phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway is considered an important hallmark of cancer. One of our recent studies found that prolonged inhibition by inhibitors of class I PI3K induces liver CSCs expansion. To our surprise, PIK3C3 inhibition blocked the expansion of CSCs induced by PI3K inhibitor; moreover, treatment with the combination of PIK3C3 inhibitor and PI3K inhibitor in maximal suppresses the expansion of liver CSCs of tumors in mice. Mechanistically, inhibition of PIK3C3 inhibit the activation of SGK3, a CSCs promoter, induced by PI3K inhibitor. We also show that PIK3C3 inhibitor suppresses liver CSCs by activation of the AMP-activated kinase (AMPK). Although PIK3C3 plays a critical role in autophagy, we find that PIK3C3 regulates liver CSCs independent of the autophagy process. These findings uncover the effective suppression of liver CSCs by targeting PIK3C3, and targeting PIK3C3 in combination with PI3K inhibitor inhibits the expansion of liver CSCs efficiently, which is an attractive therapeutic regimen for the treatment of HCC. Show less
GBM (glioblastoma multiforme) is the most common and aggressive brain tumor with no curative options available. Therefore, it is imperative to develop novel potent therapeutic drugs for GBM treatment. Show more
GBM (glioblastoma multiforme) is the most common and aggressive brain tumor with no curative options available. Therefore, it is imperative to develop novel potent therapeutic drugs for GBM treatment. Here, we show that regorafenib, an oral multi-kinase inhibitor, exhibits superior therapeutic efficacy over temozolomide, the first-line chemotherapeutic agent for GBM treatment both Show less
The melanocortin receptor 4 (MC4R) signaling system consists of MC4R, MC4R ligands [melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH), adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), agouti-related protein (AgRP)], and melanocortin-2 Show more
The melanocortin receptor 4 (MC4R) signaling system consists of MC4R, MC4R ligands [melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH), adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), agouti-related protein (AgRP)], and melanocortin-2 receptor accessory protein 2 (MRAP2), and it has been proposed to play important roles in feeding and growth in vertebrates. However, the expression and functionality of this system have not been fully characterized in teleosts. Here, we cloned tilapia Show less
Overexpression of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3H (EIF3H) predicts cancer progression and poor prognosis, but the mechanism underlying EIF3H as an oncogene remains unclear in esophageal sq Show more
Overexpression of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3H (EIF3H) predicts cancer progression and poor prognosis, but the mechanism underlying EIF3H as an oncogene remains unclear in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). TCGA database and the immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining of ESCC samples were used and determined the upregulation of EIF3H in ESCC. CCK8 assay, colony formation assay and transwell assay were performed to examine the ability of cell proliferation and mobility in KYSE150 and KYSE510 cell lines with EIF3H overexpression or knockdown. Xenograft and tail-vein lung metastatic mouse models of KYSE150 cells with or without EIF3H knockdown were also used to confirm the function of EIF3H on tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. A potential substrate of EIF3H was screened by co-immunoprecipitation assay (co-IP) combined with mass spectrometry in HEK293T cells. Their interaction and co-localization were confirmed using reciprocal co-IP and immunofluorescence staining assay. The function of EIF3H on Snail ubiquitination and stability was demonstrated by the cycloheximide (CHX) pulse-chase assay and ubiquitination assay. The correlation of EIF3H and Snail in clinical ESCC samples was verified by IHC. We found that EIF3H is significantly upregulated in esophageal cancer and ectopic expression of EIF3H in ESCC cell lines promotes cell proliferation, colony formation, migration and invasion. Conversely, genetic inhibition of EIF3H represses ESCC tumor growth and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, we identified EIF3H as a novel deubiquitinating enzyme of Snail. We demonstrated that EIF3H interacts with and stabilizes Snail through deubiquitination. Therefore, EIF3H could promote Snail-mediated EMT process in ESCC. In clinical ESCC samples, there is also a positive correlation between EIF3H and Snail expression. Our study reveals a critical EIF3H-Snail signaling axis in tumor aggressiveness in ESCC and provides EIF3H as a promising biomarker for ESCC treatment. Show less
The Jumonji domain containing 1C (JMJD1C) gene encodes the Jumonji domain-containing protein 1C (JMJD1C) and is a member of the jmJC domain-containing protein family involved in histone demethylation Show more
The Jumonji domain containing 1C (JMJD1C) gene encodes the Jumonji domain-containing protein 1C (JMJD1C) and is a member of the jmJC domain-containing protein family involved in histone demethylation that is expressed in the brain. We report seven, unrelated patients with developmental delays or intellectual disability and heterozygous, de novo sequence variants in JMJD1C. All patients had developmental delays, but there were no consistent additional findings. Two patients were reported to have seizures for which there was no other identified cause. De novo, deleterious sequence variants in JMJD1C have previously been reported in patients with autism spectrum disorder and a phenotype resembling classical Rett syndrome, but only one JMJD1C variant has undergone functional evaluation. In all of the seven patients in this report, there was a plausible, alternative explanation for the neurocognitive phenotype or a modifying factor, such as an additional potentially pathogenic variant, presence of the variant in a population database, heteroplasmy for a mitochondrial variant or mosaicism for the JMJD1C variant. Although the de novo variants in JMJD1C are likely to be relevant to the developmental phenotypes observed in these patients, we conclude that further data supporting the association of JMJD1C variants with intellectual disability is still needed. Show less
In this paper, a novel acidic polysaccharide (CPS-1) was successively prepared from Gynostemma pentaphyllum using hot water isolation method to explore its antitumor and antioxidant activities. Struct Show more
In this paper, a novel acidic polysaccharide (CPS-1) was successively prepared from Gynostemma pentaphyllum using hot water isolation method to explore its antitumor and antioxidant activities. Structural characteristics of CPS-1 were evaluated by SEM, HPGPC, HPAEC-PAD, FT-IR, and NMR. The results indicated: CPS-1 was mainly composed of Ara, Gal, Glc, Xyl, Man, GalA and GlcA in a molar ratio of 1.23:2.14:0.67:0.2:0.29:0.16:0.04 with molecular weight of 3297 kDa. Combining with the results of FT-IR and NMR, it was inferred that CPS-1 was mainly possessed the five main linkages including α-D-Ara, α-D-Gal, α-D-Man, α-D-Xyl and β-D-Glc. Furthermore, MTT results exhibited that the IC Show less
E3 ubiquitin ligase gene, WWP2, is associated with acute kidney injury (AKI). This research was conducted to explore the role of WWP2 in AKI. AKI cell model was produced in human renal proximal tubula Show more
E3 ubiquitin ligase gene, WWP2, is associated with acute kidney injury (AKI). This research was conducted to explore the role of WWP2 in AKI. AKI cell model was produced in human renal proximal tubular epithelial cell line (HK-2) by ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury. CCK8 and flow cytometry assay were performed to explore the influence of WWP2 overexpression on cell proliferation and apoptosis of IR-induced HK-2 cells. Quantitative real-time PCR and immunoblotting (IB) were performed to assess the gene and protein expression. Then, the influence of WWP2 on p53 ubiquitylation and degradation was estimated by immunoprecipitation assay. Our data indicated that WWP2 was down-regulated and p53 was up-regulated in IR-induced HK-2 cells. WWP2 overexpression promoted proliferation and inhibited apoptosis of IR-induced HK-2 cells. And WWP2 interacted with p53 and regulated p53 ubiquitylation and degradation. Furthermore, the influence of WWP2 on cell proliferation and apoptosis was rescued by MG132 (proteasome inhibitor) treatment. In conclusion, our work described for the first time the role of WWP2 in AKI, showing that WWP2 ameliorated AKI by mediating p53 ubiquitylation and degradation. Moreover, the study offers some important insights into the occurrence of AKI and WWP2 may be a novel target of AKI treatment. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY: Our data elaborates that WWP2 has protective effect against AKI by mediating p53 ubiquitylation and degradation. Thus, WWP2 might be a therapeutic target for AKI. Show less
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder. A common and disabling disease of the elderly, the standard dopamine replacement therapies do not arrest the ongoing neurodegenera Show more
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder. A common and disabling disease of the elderly, the standard dopamine replacement therapies do not arrest the ongoing neurodegeneration, thus calling for new treatment strategies. The present study aimed to clarify the functional relevance of the hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α)/microRNA-128-3p (miR-128-3p) axis in hippocampal neurodegeneration in a PD mouse model obtained by intraperitoneal injection of MPTP. Targeting relationship between miR-128-3p and Show less
DUSP6 functions as an important negative feedback component of the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway. Although DUSP6 expression is tightly regulated by ERK1/2 signaling, the molecular mechanism of this regul Show more
DUSP6 functions as an important negative feedback component of the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway. Although DUSP6 expression is tightly regulated by ERK1/2 signaling, the molecular mechanism of this regulation remains partially understood. In this work, we show that the transcriptional repressor CIC functions downstream of the ERK1/2 signaling to negatively regulate DUSP6 expression. CIC directly represses DUSP6 transcription by binding to three Show less
APOA5 is a low-abundance exchangeable apolipoprotein that plays critical roles in human triglyceride (TG) metabolism. Indeed, aberrations in the plasma concentration or structure of APOA5 are linked t Show more
APOA5 is a low-abundance exchangeable apolipoprotein that plays critical roles in human triglyceride (TG) metabolism. Indeed, aberrations in the plasma concentration or structure of APOA5 are linked to hypertriglyceridemia, hyperchylomicronemia, myocardial infarction risk, obesity, and coronary artery disease. While it has been successfully produced at low yield in bacteria, the resulting protein had limitations for structure-function studies due to its low solubility under physiological buffer conditions. We hypothesized that the yield and solubility of recombinant APOA5 could be increased by: Show less
Nephron loss stimulates residual functioning nephrons to undergo compensatory growth. Excessive nephron growth may be a maladaptive response that sets the stage for progressive nephron damage, leading Show more
Nephron loss stimulates residual functioning nephrons to undergo compensatory growth. Excessive nephron growth may be a maladaptive response that sets the stage for progressive nephron damage, leading to kidney failure. To date, however, the mechanism of nephron growth remains incompletely understood. Our previous study revealed that class III phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (Pik3c3) is activated in the remaining kidney after unilateral nephrectomy (UNX)-induced nephron loss, but previous studies failed to generate a Pik3c3 gene knockout animal model. Global Pik3c3 deletion results in embryonic lethality. Given that renal proximal tubule cells make up the bulk of the kidney and undergo the most prominent hypertrophic growth after UNX, in this study we used Cre-loxP-based approaches to demonstrate for the first time that tamoxifen-inducible SLC34a1 promoter-driven CreER Show less
Myeloid-derived growth factor (MYDGF), which is produced by bone marrow-derived cells, mediates cardiac repair following myocardial infarction by inhibiting cardiac myocyte apoptosis to subsequently r Show more
Myeloid-derived growth factor (MYDGF), which is produced by bone marrow-derived cells, mediates cardiac repair following myocardial infarction by inhibiting cardiac myocyte apoptosis to subsequently reduce the infarct size. However, the function of MYDGF in the incretin system of diabetes is still unknown. Here, loss-of-function and gain-of-function experiments in mice revealed that MYDGF maintains glucose homeostasis by inducing glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) production and secretion and that it improves glucose tolerance and lipid metabolism. Treatment with recombinant MYDGF increased the secretion and production of GLP-1 in STC-1 cells in vitro. Mechanistically, the positive effects of MYDGF are potentially attributable to the activation of protein kinase A/glycogen synthase kinase 3β/β-catenin (PKA/GSK-3β/β-catenin) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinases/extracellular regulated protein kinase (MEK/ERK) pathways. Based on these findings, MYDGF promotes the secretion and production of GLP-1 in intestinal L-cells and potentially represents a potential therapeutic medication target for type 2 diabetes. Show less