The emerging role of miR-200 family in metastasis: focus on EMT,CSCs, angiogenesis,and anoikis

Introduction

Cancer is the second major threat to human society and one of the main challenges facing healthcare systems. One of the main problems of cancer care is the metastases of cancer cells that cause 90% of deaths due to cancer. Multiple molecular mechanisms are involved in cancer cell metastasis. Therefore, a better understanding of these molecular mechanisms is necessary for designing restrictive strategies against cancer cell metastasis. Accumulating data suggests that MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in metastasis and invasion of human tumors through regulating multiple genes expression levels that are involved in molecular mechanisms of metastasis. The goal of this review is to present the molecular pathways by which the miR 200 family manifests its effects on EMT, cancer stem cells, angiogenesis, anoikis, and the effects of tumor cell metastases.

Methods

A detailed literature search was conducted to find information about the role of the miR-200 family in the processes involved in metastasis in various databases.

Results

Numerous lines of evidence revealed an association between the mir-200 family and metastasis of human tumors by impressing processes such as cancer stem cells, EMT, angiogenesis, and anoikis.

Conclusions

Understanding the molecular mechanisms associated with metastasis in which the miR-200 family is involved can be effective in treating metastatic cancers.

Graphic abstract

     

A multivariate study of resource partitioning in soft bottom lotic Chironomidae

For two years a community of larval chironomid midges was studied in a sandy-run portion of a fourth order natural stream in SE Ohio, U.S.A. in order to determine if the species partitioned the spatial resources. The habitat structure was simplified from ten habitat variables to three significant principal components. The three eigenvectors were easily interpreted as sediment size, sediment heterogeneity, and organic deposition. Species abundances were loaded on these axes and niche metrics examined. Strong differences in habitat preference were demonstrated for midge species on each component. Also, there were no differences in distributions for the intraspecific instars for each species tested at a given time, but for each of the instars tested, their distributions were found to change from time to time. Apparently, individuals of a species, regardless of instar, simultaneously choose the same habitat, however, the preferred habitat may shift temporally due to change in resource availability, or niche expansion or compression due to competition.     

The Treatment of Recalcitrant Post-traumatic Nightmares with Autogenic Training and Autogenic Abreaction: A Case Study

Recurrent and frightening dreams are commonly experienced by patients who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder after a motor vehicle accident. Such nocturnal episodes, if left untreated, can result in the experience of severe distress with physical, emotional, and psychophysiological concomitant. The present single-case study investigated the effects of the standard autogenic exercises and autogenic abreaction in reducing the frequency and severity of post-traumatic nightmares in a survivor of a car crash. The patient was also instructed in two additional organ-specific formulas in order to improve her sleep. The results of the study showed that the interventions were successful in effectively treating the patient's distressing nightmares. Follow-up data suggested that the treatment effects persisted after the termination of therapy. Suggestions for future investigations are discussed.     

Fractalkine and apoptotic/anti-apoptotic markers in granulosa cells of women with polycystic ovarian syndrome

Molecular Biology Reports - Owing to the role of fractalkine in regulating cellular apoptosis/proliferation, we investigated fractalkine effects on apoptosis/proliferation signaling of granulosa...     

Exosome-based intercellular communication in female reproductive microenvironments

Different strategies are applied for cellular cross-talk and organization in multicellular organisms. Exosomes are a homogenous population of biological nanoparticles (30–100 nm), originated from multivesicular bodies. The exosomes (Exos) could regulate and affect both cellular physiology and pathophysiology in various organs, such as the female reproductive tract, by altering gene pathways and/or epigenetic programming. Besides, engineered Exos have the potential to be used as a novel drug and gene delivery tools. Here in this review, we discussed various aspects of exosome-based intercellular communication in female reproductive microenvironments. Furthermore, we addressed the findings and issues related to Exos in reproductive biology to give a better view of the involved molecular mechanisms. Moreover, clinical applications of the Exos and their isolation source/methods have been considered to throw some light on the progression of new biological, diagnostic, and therapeutic approaches in clinical embryology.     

Micromorphological studies of the leaf epidermis of Iranian Cotoneaster Medik

In this study, micromorphological features of the leaf epidermal cells of 17 species of Iranian Cotoneaster were determined. The studied species were compared with each other and with phylogenetic relationships established by previous studies. Three populations of C. integerrimus and C. multiflorus were studied as representatives of C. subgen. Cotoneaster and Chaenopetalum, respectively. To evaluate quantitative and qualitative characters, multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) and factor analysis of mixed data (FAMD) were performed. Finally, relationships among the taxa were illustrated by hierarchical clustering analysis. Three stomatal types were identified, i.e. anomocytic, stephanocytic and actino‐stephanocytic. The wax and cuticle density was higher in species from semi‐moist habitats than in those from dry and semi‐dry habitats. The patterns formed by the anticlinal walls of the epidermal cells were sinuous, repand and straight‐curved. Interestingly, there was a significant relationship between the length of leaves, the density of the indumentum and the pattern formed by the anticlinal cell walls. The leaves of species with large leaves also have lower hair density and more curved anticlinal cell walls. It appears probable that climatic conditions affected the evolution of leaf micro‐morphological characters during the early diversification of the genus, but that these characters have subsequently been permanently fixed by phylogenetic constraints and thus appear diagnostic for extant species.     

Endothelins and their receptors in embryo implantation

As a critical stage of pregnancy, the implantation of blastocysts into the endometrium is a progressive, excessively regulated local tissue remodeling step involving a complex sequence of genetic and cellular interplay executed within an optimal time frame. For better understanding the causes of infertility and, more importantly, for developing powerful strategies for successful implantations and combating infertility, an increasing number of recent studies have been focused on the identification and study of newly described substances in the reproductive tree. The endothelins (ET), a 21-aminoacidic family of genes, have been reported to be responsible for the contraction of vascular and nonvascular smooth muscles, including the smooth muscles of the uterus. Therefore, this review aims to comprehensively discuss the physiological role of endothelins and signaling through their receptors, as well as their probable involvement in the implantation process.     

Poly(A) Binding Protein 1 Enhances Cap-Independent Translation Initiation of Neurovirulence Factor from Avian Herpesvirus

Poly(A) binding protein 1 (PABP1) plays a central role in mRNA translation and stability and is a target by many viruses in diverse manners. We report a novel viral translational control strategy involving the recruitment of PABP1 to the 5'' leader internal ribosome entry site (5L IRES) of an immediate-early (IE) bicistronic mRNA that encodes the neurovirulence protein (pp14) from the avian herpesvirus Marek’s disease virus serotype 1 (MDV1). We provide evidence for the interaction between an internal poly(A) sequence within the 5L IRES and PABP1 which may occur concomitantly with the recruitment of PABP1 to the poly(A) tail. RNA interference and reverse genetic mutagenesis results show that a subset of virally encoded-microRNAs (miRNAs) targets the inhibitor of PABP1, known as paip2, and therefore plays an indirect role in PABP1 recruitment strategy by increasing the available pool of active PABP1. We propose a model that may offer a mechanistic explanation for the cap-independent enhancement of the activity of the 5L IRES by recruitment of a bona fide initiation protein to the 5'' end of the message and that is, from the affinity binding data, still compatible with the formation of ‘closed loop’ structure of mRNA.     

S100 protein family and embryo implantation

It is well known that embryo implantation is a critical process in which embryo should be able to reach and attach to endometrium. Until now, various types of factors are involved in the regulation of this process. S100 proteins are calcium-binding proteins, which have vital roles in embryo implantation and have been considered as possible candidate markers for endometrial receptivity. However, studies regarding mode of actions of these proteins are scarce and more mechanistic insights are needed to clarify exact roles of each one of the S100 protein family. Understanding of function of these proteins in different compartments, stages, and phases of endometrium, could pave the way for conducting studies regarding the therapeutic significance of these proteins in some disorders such as recurrent implantation failure. In this review, we outlined roles and possible underlying mechanisms of S100 protein family in embryo implantation.     

Naip5 affects host susceptibility to the intracellular pathogen Legionella pneumophila

BACKGROUND: Legionella pneumophila is a gram-negative bacterial pathogen that is the cause of Legionnaires' Disease. Legionella produces disease because it can replicate inside a specialized compartment of host macrophages. Macrophages isolated from various inbred mice exhibit large differences in permissiveness for intracellular replication of Legionella. A locus affecting this host-resistance phenotype, Lgn1, has been mapped to chromosome 13, but the responsible gene has not been identified. RESULTS: Here, we report that Naip5 (also known as Birc1e) influences susceptibility to Legionella. Naip5 encodes a protein that is homologous to plant innate immunity (so-called "resistance") proteins and has been implicated in signaling pathways related to apoptosis regulation. Detailed recombination mapping and analysis of expression implicates Naip5 in the Legionella permissiveness differences among mouse strains. A bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) transgenic line expressing a nonpermissive allele of Naip5 exhibits a reduction in macrophage Legionella permissiveness. In addition, morpholino-based antisense inhibition of Naip5 causes an increase in the Legionella permissiveness of macrophages. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that polymorphisms in Naip5 are involved in the permissiveness differences of mouse macrophages for intracellular Legionella replication. We speculate that Naip5 is a functional mammalian homolog of plant "resistance" proteins that monitor for, and initiate host response to, the presence of secreted bacterial virulence proteins.