Identification and expansion of cancer stem cells in tumor tissues and peripheral blood derived from gastric adenocarcinoma patients

Gastric cancer is the fourth most common cancer worldwide, with a high rate of death and low 5-year survival rate. To date, there is a lack of efficient therapeutic protocols for gastric cancer. Recent studies suggest that cancer stem cells (CSCs) are responsible for tumor initiation, invasion, metastasis, and resistance to anticancer therapies. Thus, therapies that target gastric CSCs are attractive. However, CSCs in human gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC) have not been described. Here, we identify CSCs in tumor tissues and peripheral blood from GAC patients. CSCs of human GAC (GCSCs) that are isolated from tumor tissues and peripheral blood of patients carried CD44 and CD54 surface markers, generated tumors that highly resemble the original human tumors when injected into immunodeficient mice, differentiated into gastric epithelial cells in vitro, and self-renewed in vivo and in vitro. Our findings suggest that effective therapeutic protocols must target GCSCs. The capture of GCSCs from the circulation of GAC patients also shows great potential for identification of a critical cell population potentially responsible for tumor metastasis, and provides an effective protocol for early diagnosis and longitudinal monitoring of gastric cancer.     

Platform for the rapid construction and evaluation of GPCRs for crystallography in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Recent successes in the determination of G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) structures have relied on the ability of receptor variants to overcome difficulties in expression and purification. Therefore, the quick screening of functionally expressed stable receptor variants is vital. RESULTS: We developed a platform using Saccharomyces cerevisiae for the rapid construction and evaluation of functional GPCR variants for structural studies. This platform enables us to perform a screening cycle from construction to evaluation of variants within 6-7 days. We firstly confirmed the functional expression of 25 full-length class A GPCRs in this platform. Then, in order to improve the expression level and stability, we generated and evaluated the variants of the four GPCRs (hADRB2, hCHRM2, hHRH1 and hNTSR1). These stabilized receptor variants improved both functional activity and monodispersity. Finally, the expression level of the stabilized hHRH1 in Pichia pastoris was improved up to 65 pmol/mg from negligible expression of the functional full-length receptor in S. cerevisiae at first screening. The stabilized hHRH1 was able to be purified for use in crystallization trials. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that the S. cerevisiae system should serve as an easy-to-handle and rapid platform for the construction and evaluation of GPCR variants. This platform can be a powerful prescreening method to identify a suitable GPCR variant for crystallography.     

Secretome analysis of Magnaporthe oryzae using in vitro systems

Magnaporthe oryzae is a devastating blast fungal pathogen of rice (Oryza sativa L.) that causes dramatic decreases in seed yield and quality. During the early stages of infection by this pathogen, the fungal spore senses the rice leaf surface, germinates, and penetrates the cell via an infectious structure known as an appressorium. During this process, M. oryzae secretes several proteins; however, these proteins are largely unknown mainly due to the lack of a suitable method for isolating secreted proteins during germination and appressoria formation. We examined the secretome of M. oryzae by mimicking the early stages of infection in vitro using a glass plate (GP), PVDF membrane, and liquid culture medium (LCM). Microscopic observation of M. oryzae growth revealed appressorium formation on the GP and PVDF membrane resembling natural M. oryzae-rice interactions; however, appresorium formation was not observed in the LCM. Secreted proteins were collected from the GP (3, 8, and 24 h), PVDF membrane (24 h), and LCM (48 h) and identified by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) followed by tandem mass spectrometry. The GP, PVDF membrane, and LCM-derived 2D gels showed distinct protein patterns, indicating that they are complementary approaches. Collectively, 53 nonredundant proteins including previously known and novel secreted proteins were identified. Six biological functions were assigned to the proteins, with the predominant functional classes being cell wall modification, reactive oxygen species detoxification, lipid modification, metabolism, and protein modification. The in vitro system using GPs and PVDF membranes applied in this study to survey the M. oryzae secretome, can be used to further our understanding of the early interactions between M. oryzae and rice leaves.     

基于二层特征筛选的HIV-1蛋白酶特异位点预测

在抗艾滋病治疗中,HIV-1蛋白酶抑制剂发挥着重要作用。对于HIV-1蛋白酶裂解作用位点的研究有助于找到新的治疗靶点。为了对HIV-1蛋白酶特异位点进行预测,本研究用氨基酸索引数据库(Amino Acid Index,AAIndex)中的531个氨基酸物理化学性质参数直接表征肽样本的结构,通过二层特征筛选,最终将4248个表征参数降为57个表征参数。分别采取四种核函数进行HIV-1蛋白酶特异位点的支持向量机(SVM)建模,并通过10折交叉验证及外部测试集方法来验证建模的准确性。结果表明选取NormalizePolyKernel核函数进行SVM建模效果优于其他核函数(PolyKernel、PUK、RBFKernel),所建立的模型对于训练集的10组交叉验证预测准确率达到93.947%,对于外部测试集的预测正确率达到93.684%。     

rs2200733多态性与中国汉族中青年高血压患者并发心房颤动的关联性

目的:探讨人基因组rs2200733位点的多态性与中国汉族中青年高血压患者并发房颤发生的关联性.方法:根据入选标准,选择中国汉族中青年高血压并发房颤患者208例(房颤组)和不伴房颤的高血压患者405例(对照组).采集患者外周血,提取基因组DNA,采用聚合酶链反应-限制性酶切片段长度多态性技术检测rs2200733位点的基因型和等位基因分布.结果:rs2200733位点存在多态性,分别为TT、TC和CC型,其基因型频率在房颤组和对照组分别为58.1％、33.7％、8.2％和72.9％、25.9％、1.2％.基因型分布有显著性差异(P＜0.001),房颤组TC和CC基因型频率明显高于对照组(P＜0.001).Logistic多因素回归分析显示rs2200733位点多态性与房颤显著相关(OR=3.143,95％CI:1.442-6.581).结论:rs2200733位点多态性与中国汉族中青年高血压患者的房颤发生存在相关性,TC和CC基因型可能是房颤发生的一个遗传易感因素.     

基于蛋白质序列的泛素化位点预测研究进展

泛素化是目前广受关注的一种翻译后修饰过程,对蛋白质降解、DNA修复等多种细胞过程都具有重要的调控作用。本文根据国内外蛋白质泛素化位点预测的研究,分析了预测泛素化位点的特征属性,总结了对这些特征进行优化的特征选择方法,并对预测过程中所使用的各种机器学习分类器进行了概述。     

肾移植术后人微小病毒B19 感染导致纯红细胞增生障碍性贫血

目的:探讨肾移植术后人微小病毒B19感染所致纯红细胞再生障碍性贫血的诊断及其治疗。方法:回顾性分析4例肾移植术后纯红细胞再生障碍性贫血患者的临床特点,诊断方法,治疗过程及预后。结果:两周内在本中心接受肾移植手术的6例患者中,有4例在术后60天内均出现发热、血红蛋白进行性下降等相似症状;综合骨髓穿刺、ELISA方法检测血清特异性IgG、IgM等方法诊断为人微小病毒B19感染;经静脉注射免疫球蛋白、调整免疫抑制方案等综合治疗后,4例患者病情均明显缓解。结论:(1)贫血是肾移植术后患者感染人微小病毒B19的典型临床症状;(2)PCR检测和/或ELISA方法,结合骨髓穿刺及其他实验室指标可诊断人微小病毒感染;(3)静脉注射免疫球蛋白是肾移植术后人微小病毒B19感染导致PRCA的首选治疗方法,病情反复时,再次应用仍然有效。同时予以调整免疫抑制剂方案等综合治疗,可获得理想疗效。     

TEM1mRNA 在非小细胞肺癌中的表达及临床意义*

目的:揭示TEM1其与非小细胞肺癌侵袭和转移的可能关系,为靶向治疗提供理想的药物作用靶点。方法:实时荧光定量PCR方法检测56例非小细胞肺癌肿瘤组织及癌旁组织中TEM1 mRNA表达水平,分析其在不同组中的表达差异。结果:TEM1在56例非小细胞肺癌组织中都有表达。TEM1表达水平在肿瘤组织中比癌旁组织表达高,并且其表达水平与淋巴结转移及肿瘤分期密切相关(P<0.05),但与患者的病理类型,年龄及性别无关(P>0.05)。结论:TEM1表达水平与非小细胞肺癌分期密切相关,表明其可能是一个参与非小细胞肺癌侵袭及转移有价值的分子标记物。TEM1可能成为潜在的基因治疗靶点。     

丙泊酚靶控输注麻醉维持对老年胃癌根治术患者血流动力学 及苏醒质量的影响

目的:探讨丙泊酚靶控输注麻醉维持对老年胃癌根治术患者血流动力学以及术后苏醒质量的影响.方法:ASAI～Ⅱ级行胃癌根治术的60例患者随机分为A组和B组.两组使用靶控输注麻醉诱导,起始血浆靶浓度为1μg·ml-1 1％丙泊酚泵注,A组采用靶控输注丙泊酚维持麻醉,B组采用七氟烷吸入维持麻醉.记录麻醉前(T0)、切皮后5min(T1)、手术开始30 rmin(T2)、手术开始60min(T3)、停药时(T4)、出室时(T5)各时间点的血流动力学指标的变化.记录患者术后睁眼时间、拔管时间、定向力恢复时间.结果:两组血流动力学指标(SBP、DBP、HR)在T1～T3时点迅速下降,与T0比较均有显著性差异(P＜0.05),T4时血流动力学指标(SBP、DBP、HR)开始上升,至T5时基本达到基线水平,与T0比较差异无统计学意义(P＞0.05).血流动力学指标(SBP、DBP、HR)在组间比较差异均无统计学意义(P＞0.05).两组术后睁眼时间比较差异无统计学意义(P＞0.05),A组术后拔管时间、定向力恢复时间均低于B组,相比较有显著性差异(P＜0.05).结论:丙泊酚靶控输注麻醉维持对老年胃癌根治术患者血流动力学影响小,患者术后苏醒质量高,是老年胃癌根治术患者理想的麻醉方法.     

西安市MRSA 耐消毒剂基因qacA/B 的检测

目的:了解西安市三甲综合医院耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌(MRSA)qacA/B基因的携带情况,以便掌握其对消毒剂的耐药情况。方法:收集临床分离的152株耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌,采用聚合酶链反应检测qacA/B基因,并将qacA/B基因扩增产物进行测序,测序结果进行比对。结果:152株耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌中有11株检出qacA/B阳性,qacA/B携带率7.2%;测序结果比对发现,4株qacA的基因编码序列同一位点均有一个碱基发生突变(C→T),苏氨酸突变为异亮氨酸。结论:该地区临床分离的耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌中qacA/B携带率相对较低,但也存在抵抗消毒剂的风险,临床应加强消毒剂使用的管理,阻止MRSA的传播,减少感染的发生。