TRIM59 predicts poor prognosis and promotes pancreatic cancer progression via the PI3K/AKT/mTOR-glycolysis signaling axis

Aberrant expression of the tripartite motif containing 59 (TRIM59) has been reported to participate in the development and progression of various human cancers. However, its expression pattern and cellular roles in pancreatic cancer (PC) remains unclear. In our study, we found that TRIM59 expression was significantly increased in PC tissues and was positively correlated with several malignant behaviors and poor overall survival of PC patients based on bioinformatics analysis and immunohistochemistry staining. Functionally, small interfering RNA–mediated TRIM59 depletion inhibited cell proliferation and migration in vitro, while TRIM59 overexpression promoted cell proliferation and migration in vitro and drove tumor growth and liver metastasis in vivo. Mechanically, TRIM59 was found to enhance glycolysis through activating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, ultimately contributing to PC progression. Taken together, our results demonstrate that TRIM59 may be a potential predictor for PC and promotes PC progression via the PI3K/AKT/mTOR-glycolysis signaling pathway, which establishes the rationale for targeting the TRIM59-related pathways to treat PC.     

Intraspecific Diversity and Taxonomy of Emmonsia crescens

Mycopathologia - Emmonsia crescens is known as an environmental pathogen causing adiaspiromycosis in small rodents. As the generic name Emmonsia is no longer available for this species, its...     

基于环介导等温扩增技术的微流控芯片在病原菌检测方面的研究进展

环介导等温扩增(LAMP)技术是一种新兴的核酸恒温扩增技术,与微流控芯片技术相结合,可实现对病原菌的快速检测,具有特异性强、灵敏度高、操作简单等优点。本文根据不同终产物的检测方法对目前检测病原菌的相关微流控LAMP芯片进行了分类与介绍,并对技术的改进和存在的问题进行了分析,以期为后续的相关研究提供参考。     

藏猪小肠形态、消化酶及微生物多样性研究

【目的】肠道是动物的主要消化器官,同时也是机体抵抗外源病原菌的重要屏障,已有研究表明,动物的品种、饲养方式、生长阶段均会影响动物的肠道菌群结构,但对舍饲和放牧饲养条件下藏猪的肠道菌群结构,以及藏猪和长白、约克与杜洛克三元杂交猪(DLY猪)的肠道菌群结构是否有差异,尚未见报道。【方法】本研究选取6–7月龄的放牧藏猪、舍饲藏猪和DLY猪的小肠组织,分别采用组织切片法测定各试验猪的肠道形态、酶活性测定试剂盒测定肠道内容物的消化酶活性,高通量测序法测定肠道微生物。【结果】DLY猪小肠的肌层厚度和绒毛高度高于藏猪,而隐窝深度低于藏猪;舍饲藏猪和放牧藏猪的小肠形态没有显著变化。DLY猪小肠的胰蛋白酶活性高于藏猪,而淀粉酶活性低于藏猪。三组猪小肠微生物的优势菌门均为Proteobacteria、Firmicutes和Bacteroidetes;藏猪的优势菌属为Ralstonia和Escherichia,而DLY猪的优势菌属为Ralstonia和Bradyrhizobium,但含量却存在显著性差异。舍饲藏猪与放牧藏猪肠道菌群结构相似度较高,而藏猪与DLY猪肠道菌群结构相似度较低。【结论】放牧藏猪、舍饲藏猪和DLY猪的小肠形态、消化酶活性和肠道菌群结构均存在显著性差异。     

A novel immunoproteomics method for identifying in vivo-induced Campylobacter jejuni antigens using pre-adsorbed sera from infected patients

Background

Campylobacter jejuni is an important food-borne and zoonotic pathogen with a worldwide distribution. Humans and chickens are hosts of this pathogen. At present, there is no ideal vaccine for controlling human campylobacteriosis or the carriage of C. jejuni by chickens. Bacterial in vivo-induced antigens are useful as potential vaccine candidates and biomarkers of virulence.

Methods

In this study, we developed a novel systematic immunoproteomics approach to identify in vivo-induced antigens among the total cell proteins of C. jejuni using pre-adsorbed sera from patients infected with C. jejuni.

Results

Overall, 14 immunoreactive spots were probed on a PVDF membrane using pre-adsorbed human sera against C. jejuni. Then, we excised these protein spots from a duplicate gel and identified using MALDI–TOF MS. In total, 14 in vivo-induced antigens were identified using PMF and BLAST analysis. The identified proteins include CadF (CadF-1 and CadF-2), CheW, TufB, DnaK, MetK, LpxB, HslU, DmsA, PorA, ProS, CJBH_0976, CSU_0396 and hypothetical protein cje135_05017. Real-time RT-PCR was performed on 9 genes to compare their expression levels in vivo and in vitro. The data showed that 8 of the 9 analyzed genes were significantly upregulated in vivo relative to in vitro.

Conclusion

We successfully developed a novel immunoproteomics method for identifying in vivo-induced Campylobacter jejuni antigens by using pre-adsorbed sera from infected patients.

General significance

This new analysis method may prove to be useful for identifying in vivo-induced antigens within any host infected by bacteria and will contribute to the development of new subunit vaccines.     

Opposing functions of PLAG1 in pleomorphic adenoma: a microarray analysis of PLAG1 transgenic mice

Over-expression of the proto-oncogene pleomorphic adenoma gene 1 (PLAG1) plays a crucial role in the formation of pleomorphic adenoma, which is the most common type of salivary gland tumor. To understand the molecular mechanisms governing PLAG1-mediated tumorigenesis, we used a microarray-based approach to identify PLAG1 target genes. We validated the expression of several genes, including Bax, Fas, p53, p21, p16, Cyclin D1, Egfr, Trail-R/DR5, c-Fos, c-myc and Igf2, by real-time RT-PCR or western blotting. Using luciferase reporter gene assays, we determined that the promoters of Bax, Fas, p53, TRAIL-R/DR5, and c-Fos were transactivated by PLAG1. PLAG1 not only activates genes that promote cell proliferation and tumor formation but also genes that inhibit these cellular processes. Therefore, we conclude that PLAG1 may play a dual role in tumor formation.     

Abundance and Diversity of Ammonia-Oxidizing Bacteria and Archaea in Cold Springs on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The cold springs underlain by gas hydrates on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) are similar to deep-sea cold seeps with respect to methane biogeochemistry. Previous studies have shown that ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and archaea (AOA) are actively present and play important roles in the carbon/nitrogen cycles in cold seeps. Studying AOA and AOB communities in the QTP cold springs will be of great importance to our understanding of carbon and nitrogen cycling dynamics related to the underlying gas hydrates on the QTP. Thus, the abundance and diversity of AOB and AOA in sediments of four cold springs underlain by gas hydrates on the QTP were determined by using quantitative polymerase chain reaction and amoA gene (encoding ammonia monooxygenase involved in ammonia oxidation) phylogenetic analysis. The results showed that the AOB and AOA amoA gene abundances were at 10³–10⁴ copies per gram of the sediments in the investigated cold springs. The AOB population consisted of Nitrosospira and Nitrosomonas in contrast with the mere presence of Nitrosospira in marine cold seeps. The AOB diversity was higher in cold springs than in cold seeps. The AOA population was mainly composed of Nitrososphaera, in contrast with the dominance of Nitrosopumilus in cold seeps. The terrestrial origin and high level of dissolved oxygen of the cold springs may be the main factors accounting for the observed differences in AOB and AOA populations between the QTP cold springs and marine cold seeps.