核纤层蛋白B1通过影响端粒酶活性调控肝癌细胞生长

核纤层蛋白B1(nuclear lamina protein B1,LMNB1)高表达于肝癌组织中,通过敲低LMNB1探讨其对肝癌细胞增殖的影响及其机制。利用siRNA在肝癌细胞中敲低LMNB1,Western blotting检测敲低效果,使用端粒重复序列扩增法(telomeric repeat amplification protocol assay,TRAP)检测其端粒酶活性变化。利用实时定量聚合酶链反应(quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction,qPCR)检测其端粒长度变化。并通过CCK-8、克隆形成、Transwell、划痕实验检测其生长,侵袭和迁移能力变化。利用慢病毒系统构建稳定敲低LMNB1的HepG2细胞,检测其端粒长度及端粒酶活性变化,采用SA-β-gal衰老染色检测细胞衰老情况,通过裸鼠皮下成瘤实验及对肿瘤后续的组化染色,SA-β-gal衰老染色,端粒荧光原位杂交(fluorescence in situ hybridization,FISH)检测其对成瘤性的影响。最后利用生物信息分析的方法寻找LMNB1在临床肝癌组织中的表达情况,及其与临床分期、病人生存期的关系。HepG2和Hep3B中敲低LMNB1后端粒酶活性显著降低,细胞增殖、迁移和侵袭能力显著降低,细胞和裸鼠成瘤实验证明稳定敲低LMNB1后端粒酶活性降低的同时端粒长度缩短,细胞发生衰老,此外细胞成瘤性降低,Ki-67表达降低,生物信息分析结果显示,LMNB1高表达于肝癌组织,且与肿瘤分期和患者生存相关。LMNB1在肝癌细胞中过表达,其有望成为评估肝癌患者临床预后的指标和精准治疗的靶点。     

Subtractive screening of genes involved in cellular senescence

We attempted to identify the genes involved in cellularsenescence, telomere maintenance and telomerase regulationthrough subtractive screening of cDNA libraries prepared froma human lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549 and its sublinesnamed A5DC7, CK and AST-9. Cell phenotypes of A5DC7, CK andAST-9 are normal cell-like, cancer cell-like and intermediate,respectively. These cell lines have different phenotypes interms of telomerase activity and telomere maintenance, andthus are thought to be useful for identifying the genesinvolved in cellular senescence and telomerase regulation. In this study, we identified 86 independent cDNA clones bysubtractive screening. Among these cDNA clones, subtractingA5DC7 cDNAs from A549 cDNAs and CK cDNAs gave 7 and 3 cDNAclones which highly and specifically expressed in tester celllines. Genes corresponding to these 10 cDNA clones mightparticipate in maintaining cancer-cell phenotypes. As aresult of database searching, each four of A549 specific cDNAclones are found to correspond to known cDNAs. Each two ofA549 specific and two of CK specific cDNA clones have highhomology to independent ESTs. Sequences having homology toeach one of A549 specific and one of CK specific cDNA cloneshave not been deposited in the Genbank database, indicatingthat these two cDNA clones are part of novel genes. Weanticipate that their involvement in telomerase regulationand/or senescence program can be clarified by functionalanalysis using each full-length cDNA.     

Understanding telomerase in cancer stem cell biology

Comment on: Vicente-Dueñas C, et al. Oncotarget 2012; Epub ahead of print; PMID:22408137.     

The vanishing clone: karyotypic evidence for extensive intraclonal genetic variation in the peach potato aphid,Myzus persicae (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

Analysis of holocentric mitotic metaphase chromosomes of the peach‐potato aphid Myzus persicae (Sulzer) clone 33H revealed different chromosome numbers, ranging from 12 to 17 within each embryo, in contrast to the standard karyotype of this species (2n = 12). Chromosome length measurements revealed that the observed chromosomal mosaicism is the result of recurrent fragmentations of chromosomes X, 1 and 3 because of fragile sites or hot spots of recombination. Fluorescent in situ hybridization experiments showed that X chromosomes were frequently involved in recurrent fragmentations, in particular their telomeric end opposite to the nucleolar organizer region. Experiments to induce males showed that M. persicae clone 33H is obligately parthenogenetic. The reproduction by apomictic parthenogenesis, together with a high telomerase expression that stabilized the chromosomes involved in the fragmentations observed in the M. persicae clone 33H, appears to favour the stabilization of the observed chromosome instability. © 2011 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, 105 , 350–358.     

Synthesis,telomerase inhibitory and anticancer activity of new 2-phenyl-4H-chromone derivatives containing 1,3,4-oxadiazole moiety

Based on previous studies, 66 2-phenyl-4H-chromone derivatives containing amide and 1,3,4-oxadiazole moieties were prepared as potential telomerase inhibitors. The results showed most of the title compounds exhibited significantly inhibitory activity on telomerase. Among them, some compounds demonstrated the most potent telomerase inhibitory activity (IC₅₀ < 1 µM), which was significantly superior to the staurosporine (IC₅₀ = 6.41 µM). In addition, clear structure–activity relationships were summarised, indicating that the substitution of the methoxy group and the position, type and number of the substituents on the phenyl ring had significant effects on telomerase activity. Among them, compound A33 showed considerable inhibition against telomerase. Flow cytometric analysis showed that compound A33 could arrest MGC-803 cell cycle at G2/M phase and induce apoptosis in a concentration-dependent way. Meanwhile, Western blotting revealed that this compound could reduce the expression of dyskerin, which is a fragment of telomerase.     

Multiple genetic pathways regulate replicative senescence in telomerase‐deficient yeast

Most human tissues express low levels of telomerase and undergo telomere shortening and eventual senescence; the resulting limitation on tissue renewal can lead to a wide range of age‐dependent pathophysiologies. Increasing evidence indicates that the decline in cell division capacity in cells that lack telomerase can be influenced by numerous genetic factors. Here, we use telomerase‐defective strains of budding yeast to probe whether replicative senescence can be attenuated or accelerated by defects in factors previously implicated in handling of DNA termini. We show that the MRX (Mre11‐Rad50‐Xrs2) complex, as well as negative (Rif2) and positive (Tel1) regulators of this complex, comprise a single pathway that promotes replicative senescence, in a manner that recapitulates how these proteins modulate resection of DNA ends. In contrast, the Rad51 recombinase, which acts downstream of the MRX complex in double‐strand break (DSB) repair, regulates replicative senescence through a separate pathway operating in opposition to the MRX‐Tel1‐Rif2 pathway. Moreover, defects in several additional proteins implicated in DSB repair (Rif1 and Sae2) confer only transient effects during early or late stages of replicative senescence, respectively, further suggesting that a simple analogy between DSBs and eroding telomeres is incomplete. These results indicate that the replicative capacity of telomerase‐defective yeast is controlled by a network comprised of multiple pathways. It is likely that telomere shortening in telomerase‐depleted human cells is similarly under a complex pattern of genetic control; mechanistic understanding of this process should provide crucial information regarding how human tissues age in response to telomere erosion.     

The gastrointestinal manifestations of telomere‐mediated disease

Defects in telomere maintenance genes cause pathological telomere shortening, and manifest in syndromes which have prominent phenotypes in tissues of high turnover: the skin and bone marrow. Because the gastrointestinal (GI) epithelium is highly proliferative, we sought to determine whether telomere syndromes cause GI disease, and to define its prevalence, spectrum, and natural history. We queried subjects in the Johns Hopkins Telomere Syndrome Registry for evidence of luminal GI disease. In sixteen percent of Registry subjects (6 of 38), there was a history of significant GI pathology, and 43 additional cases were identified in the literature. Esophageal stenosis, enteropathy, and enterocolitis were the recurrent findings. In the intestinal mucosa, there was striking villous atrophy, extensive apoptosis, and anaphase bridging pointing to regenerative defects in the epithelial compartment. GI disease was often the first and most severe manifestation of telomere disease in young children. These findings indicate that telomere dysfunction disrupts the epithelial integrity in the human GI tract manifesting in recognizable disease processes. A high index of suspicion should facilitate diagnosis and management.