hhlim促进DMSO诱导的P19细胞向心肌分化

为了确定hhlim是否参与胚胎期的心肌分化和发育过程,用可表达hhlim蛋白和hhlim反义RNA的真核表达质粒转染P19胚胎干细胞,经G418筛选得到稳定表达hhlim和hhlim反义RNA的P19细胞克隆后,观察hhlim对P19细胞向心肌分化和发育的影响.结果显示,Nkx2.5和GATA-4在未被外源性hhlim基因转染的P19细胞中不表达.DMSO刺激细胞2天后,GATA-4开始表达,3天后Nkx2.5的表达活性显著升高.hhlim的过表达不但有利于P19细胞的存活和生长,而且还可以使Nkx2.5和GATA-4的表达比对照细胞提前1天.反义hhlim细胞株被DMSO诱导5天后,细胞仍呈集落化生长.同时,Nkx2.5和GATA-4开始表达的时间明显延滞.结果表明,hhlim能促进P19细胞向心肌细胞分化,其作用是通过促进转录因子GATA-4和Nkx2.5的表达而实现的.     

miR-451a促进胰腺癌细胞对吉西他滨的敏感性

目的:探究miR-451a在胰腺癌吉西他滨耐药中的功能。方法:通过低浓度梯度递增法建立胰腺癌吉西他滨耐药细胞株,microRNA(miRNA)测序筛选耐药相关miRNA;细胞存活曲线、克隆形成实验及流式凋亡实验分析miR-451a对胰腺癌细胞耐药的影响;裸鼠成瘤实验检测在动物体内模型中miR-451a对胰腺癌吉西他滨耐药的调控作用;调取TCGA数据分析miR-451a表达水平与胰腺癌病人预后的相关性。结果:胰腺癌吉西他滨耐药细胞株中miR-451a表达水平明显下调;miR-451a过表达增加胰腺癌细胞对吉西他滨的敏感性,增强了吉西他滨抑制细胞增殖和诱导细胞凋亡的作用;miR-451a诱导了裸鼠皮下肿瘤对吉西他滨敏感;miR-451a低表达与胰腺癌患者不良预后相关。结论:miR-451a增强了胰腺癌细胞对吉西他滨的敏感性。     

LncRNA ITGA9-AS1抑制乳腺癌细胞增殖并增强其对顺铂的敏感性

长链非编码RNAs (long non-coding RNAs, lncRNAs) 是一类长度大于200 nt,无蛋白质编码功能的RNAs。近年来,lncRNAs在肿瘤发生发展中的作用备受关注。LncRNAs芯片分析结合后期实时荧光定量PCR验证发现,ITGA9-AS1在MCF-7细胞中的表达量显著高于耐药细胞MCF-7/5Fu,且其在乳腺癌细胞中的表达量显著低于正常乳腺上皮细胞。生物信息学预测,ITGA9 AS1无蛋白质编码功能。在乳腺癌细胞T47D中过表达ITGA9-AS1,可显著抑制该细胞的增殖和克隆形成能力,增加该细胞对化疗药物顺铂（cisplatin, cDDP）的敏感性。相反,在乳腺上皮细胞MCF-10A中敲低ITGA9-AS1的表达,能够明显增加该细胞的增殖能力和克隆形成能力,同时降低该细胞对cDDP的敏感性。总之,lncRNA ITGA9-AS1可抑制乳腺癌细胞增殖,增强乳腺癌细胞对化疗药物的敏感性。     

腺病毒介导的p33ING1b过表达显著促进衰老细胞的DNA损伤修复

p33^ING1b是一个较晚发现的肿瘤抑制基因ING1的主要表达形式,自从被成功克隆以后得到了广泛的研究,已有的研究表明,p33^ING1b参与了细胞的生长抑制、凋亡、染色质重塑、DNA损伤修复、肿瘤抑制和细胞衰老等。但是它在细胞衰老过程中的作用特别是对衰老细胞DNA损伤修复的影响还没有被地阐明,在本研究中,我们首先用2BS细胞构建了细胞衰老模型,通过RT-PCR和Western blot技术证实p33^ING1b在衰老细胞中的表达水平是下调的,然后通过构建和包装包含p33^ING1b基因的腺病毒,将p33^ING1b导入年轻和衰老细胞中并使其过表达,用HCR（host cell reactivation）方法检测年轻细胞和衰老细胞DNA损伤修复能力。我们的实验首次表明,相对于年轻细胞,p33^ING1b的过表达使衰老细胞的DNA的损伤修复能力显著增加,这说明p33^ING1b在衰老细胞中的表达下调与衰老细胞DNA损伤修复能力的下降有关,也进一步证实了p33^ING1b在细胞衰老过程中起着十分重要的作用。     

BMI1基因下调使宫颈癌和子宫内膜癌对紫杉醇敏感

目的 研究B细胞特异性莫洛尼鼠白血病病毒插入位点1（BMI1）基因对宫颈癌及子宫内膜癌增殖浸润及紫杉醇耐受的影响及其机制。方法 首先利用Cbioportal、TCGA和CPTAC数据库分析BMI1基因在宫颈癌和子宫内膜癌中的突变及表达情况。接着对人宫颈癌组织样本和人子宫内膜癌组织样本中BMI1的蛋白质表达水平进行免疫组化分析。采用蛋白质印迹法（Western blot)检测BMI1敲低后宫颈癌及子宫内膜癌细胞中BMI1下游调控因子的蛋白质水平变化。此外,通过细胞功能实验研究了BMI1在宫颈癌HeLa及子宫内膜癌HEC-1-A细胞中的功能。最后,通过实验评估siBMI1联合紫杉醇治疗的协同抗生长作用。结果 数据库分析结果显示,BMI1在1.5%的子宫颈癌患者及1.9%的子宫内膜癌的患者中存在不同程度的扩增、错义及剪接突变。此外,高mRNA水平的BMI1与宫颈癌的病理类型相关,且高蛋白质水平的BMI1与子宫内膜癌的病理类型和肿瘤分级及较低的生存率相关。进一步的免疫组化分析发现,与正常组织相比,宫颈癌和子宫内膜癌组织中BMI1蛋白水平表达升高,且与肿瘤的病理分化及浸润深度相关。药物敏感性实验显示,BMI1过表达导致HeLa及HEC-1-A细胞对多种抗癌药物的敏感性下降,其中包括紫杉醇。为了进一步分析BMI1与紫杉醇耐受的关系,通过Western blot检测BMI1敲除后HeLa及HEC-1-A细胞中BMI1下游因子的蛋白质水平变化。结果显示,抗凋亡相关蛋白Bcl-2随着BMI1的敲低而表达水平下降,而促凋亡相关蛋白BAX则显著升高。此外,细胞功能实验结果显示,体外过表达BMI1可促进HeLa及HEC-1-A细胞的增殖和迁移,且BMI1低表达的HeLa及HEC-1-A细胞对紫杉醇更敏感。结论 BMI1在宫颈癌和子宫内膜癌患者的肿瘤组织中过表达,BMI1的下调通过调控凋亡通路使CC和EC细胞对紫杉醇更加敏感。     

过量表达辣椒CaNPR1提高烟草对青枯菌的抗性

对水稻和拟南芥等模式植物的研究表明,NPR1(nonexpressor of pathogenesis-related genes 1)是依赖于SA通路的防御反应调节基因,但在辣椒和烟草等茄科作物中该蛋白的功能还鲜有报道.研究从辣椒cDNA文库中分离获得一个NPR1的类似物全长cDNA(CaNPR1),并获得了其超表达的转基因烟草T1代株系.研究结果表明,这些株系与其野生型植株没有明显表型差异,但却表现出较野生型植株更高的抗青枯菌侵染活性.同时,研究还发现CaNPR1的超表达还显著提高了防御相关基因的表达,表明NPR1在不同植物间具有较强的功能保守性.     

miR-200c-3p靶向FOSL1增加乳腺癌细胞化疗敏感性

化疗耐受是乳腺癌复发转移率居高不下、综合治疗效果难以提高的主要瓶颈。前期研究证实,miR-200c-3p在乳腺癌敏感细胞MCF-7中的表达量显著高于耐药细胞MCF-7/5Fu,提示miR-200c-3p可能参与乳腺癌化疗增敏,但是具体机制不详。生物信息学预测联合双荧光素酶报告基因实验证实,miR-200c-3p靶向调控FOSL1,且在多种肿瘤中miR-200c-3p与FOSL1表达负相关。实时荧光定量PCR技术和Western印迹技术证实,FOSL1在耐药细胞MCF-7/5Fu中的表达量显著高于亲本细胞MCF-7。在MCF-7细胞中,过表达FOSL1能够显著提高该细胞对5-Fu的化疗耐受;在MCF-7/5Fu中,使用siRNA技术沉默FOSL1,将提高该细胞对5-Fu的化疗敏感性。此外,MTT实验还发现,miR-200c-3p抑制剂能够显著上调MCF-7细胞对5-Fu的耐受,但是在此细胞中干扰FOSL1的表达,又可以增加其对5-Fu的化疗敏感性;miR-200c-3p mimics显著增加MCF-7/5Fu细胞的化疗敏感性,上调FOSL1表达后又可逆转miR-200c-3p mimics的化疗增敏作用。总之,miR-200-3p能够通过靶向FOSL1增加乳腺癌细胞对5-fluorouridine化疗敏感性。     

Overexpression of IRM1 Enhances Resistance to Aphids in Arabidopsis thaliana

Aphids are insects that cause direct damage to crops by the removal of phloem sap, but more importantly they spread devastating viruses. Aphids use their sophisticated mouthpart (i.e. stylet) to feed from the phloem sieve elements of the host plant. To identify genes that affect host plant resistance to aphids, we previously screened an Arabidopsis thaliana activation tag mutant collection. In such mutants, tagged genes are overexpressed by a strong 35S enhancer adjacent to the natural promoter, resulting in a dominant gain-of-function phenotype. We previously identified several of these mutants on which the aphid Myzus persicae showed a reduced population development compared with wild type. In the present study we show that the gene responsible for the phenotype of one of the mutants is At5g65040 and named this gene Increased Resistance to Myzus persicae 1 (IRM1). Overexpression of the cloned IRM1 gene conferred a phenotype identical to that of the original mutant. Conversely, an IRM1 knockout mutant promoted aphid population development compared to the wild type. We performed Electrical Penetration Graph analysis to investigate how probing and feeding behaviour of aphids was affected on plants that either overexpressed IRM1 or contained a knockout mutation in this gene. The EPG results indicated that the aphids encounter resistance factors while reaching for the phloem on the overexpressing line. This resistance mechanism also affected other aphid species and is suggested to be of mechanical nature. Interestingly, genetic variation for IRM1 expression in response to aphid attack was observed. Upon aphid attack the expression of IRM1 was initially (after 6 hours) induced in ecotype Wassilewskija followed by suppression. In Columbia-0, IRM1 expression was already suppressed six hours after the start of the infestation. The resistance conferred by the overexpression of IRM1 in A. thaliana trades off with plant growth.     

PTHrP Overexpression Increases Sensitivity of Breast Cancer Cells to Apo2L/TRAIL

Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) is a key component in breast development and breast tumour biology. PTHrP has been discovered as a causative agent of hypercalcaemia of malignancy and is also one of the main factors implicated in breast cancer mediated osteolysis. Clinical studies have determined that PTHrP expression by primary breast cancers was an independent predictor of improved prognosis. Furthermore, PTHrP has been demonstrated to cause tumour cell death both in vitro and in vivo. Apo2L/TRAIL is a promising new anti-cancer agent, due to its ability to selectively induce apoptosis in cancer cells whilst sparing most normal cells. However, some cancer cells are resistant to Apo2L/TRAIL-induced apoptosis thus limiting its therapeutic efficacy. The effects of PTHrP on cell death signalling pathways initiated by Apo2L/TRAIL were investigated in breast cancer cells. Expression of PTHrP in Apo2L/TRAIL resistant cell line MCF-7 sensitised these cells to Apo2L/TRAIL-induced apoptosis. The actions of PTHrP resulted from intracellular effects, since exogenous treatment of PTHrP had no effect on Apo2L/TRAIL-induced apoptosis. Apo2L/TRAIL-induced apoptosis in PTHrP expressing cells occurred through the activation of caspase-10 resulting in caspase-9 activation and induction of apoptosis through the effector caspases, caspase-6 and -7. PTHrP increased cell surface expression of Apo2L/TRAIL death receptors, TRAIL-R1 and TRAIL-R2. Antagonistic antibodies against the death receptors demonstrated that Apo2L/TRAIL mediated its apoptotic signals through activation of the TRAIL-R2 in PTHrP expressing breast cancer cells. These studies reveal a novel role for PTHrP with Apo2L/TRAIL that maybe important for future diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer.     

Inhibition of PKM2 Enhances Sensitivity of Olaparib to Ovarian Cancer Cells and Induces DNA Damage

Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) have showed clinical benefit as maintenance therapy in advanced ovarian cancer by impairing the homologous recombination (HR) pathway. Pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2), the significant cancer metabolic biomarker, integrates with DNA damage to directly promote HR. We aimed to investigate the role and molecular mechanism of PKM2 downregulation on sensitization of ovarian cancer cells to PARPi. Inhibitory effects in vitro were assessed by cell viability, clone formation, transwell assay, and flow cytometry. Downregulation of PKM2 by siRNA or small molecular inhibitor shikonin (Sk) enhanced anti-tumour activity of olaparib (Ola) in ovarian cancer cells. Silencing PKM2 or Sk synergized with Ola and reduced cell growth, colony formation and migration, and induced apoptosis. Western blot and immunofluorescence demonstrated that inhibition of PKM2 amplified Ola-induced γH2AX and phospho-ATM (p-ATM) activation and interfered with BRCA1 accumulation in the nucleus. A xenograft animal model demonstrated in vivo antitumor combination effect of Sk and Ola. Furthermore, Western blot and immunofluorenscent analyses of tissue samples revealed that treatment of Sk increased DNA damage, reduced expression of BRCA1 and PKM2. Therefore, this study identified that PKM2 downregulation is a novel therapeutic strategy to enhance Ola effectiveness in treating ovarian cancer.     

Polycystin-1 Negatively Regulates Polycystin-2 Expression via the Aggresome/Autophagosome Pathway

Mutations of the PKD1 and PKD2 genes, encoding polycystin-1 (PC1) and polycystin-2 (PC2), respectively, lead to autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. Interestingly, up-regulation or down-regulation of PKD1 or PKD2 leads to polycystic kidney disease in animal models, but their interrelations are not completely understood. We show here that full-length PC1 that interacts with PC2 via a C-terminal coiled-coil domain regulates PC2 expression in vivo and in vitro by down-regulating PC2 expression in a dose-dependent manner. Expression of the pathogenic mutant R4227X, which lacks the C-terminal coiled-coil domain, failed to down-regulate PC2 expression, suggesting that PC1-PC2 interaction is necessary for PC2 regulation. The proteasome and autophagy are two pathways that control protein degradation. Proteins that are not degraded by proteasomes precipitate in the cytoplasm and are transported via histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) toward the aggresomes. We found that HDAC6 binds to PC2 and that expression of full-length PC1 accelerates the transport of the HDAC6-PC2 complex toward aggresomes, whereas expression of the R4227X mutant fails to do so. Aggresomes are engulfed by autophagosomes, which then fuse with the lysosome for degradation; this process is also known as autophagy. We have now shown that PC1 overexpression leads to increased degradation of PC2 via autophagy. Interestingly, PC1 does not activate autophagy generally. Thus, we have now uncovered a new pathway suggesting that when PC1 is expressed, PC2 that is not bound to PC1 is directed to aggresomes and subsequently degraded via autophagy, a control mechanism that may play a role in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease pathogenesis.     

过表达热休克蛋白70提高CHO细胞表达抗体的能力

通过在中国仓鼠卵巢细胞(CHO)中过表达热休克蛋白70以提高其表达抗体的能力。首先从中国仓鼠基因组DNA中扩取HSP70基因,构建真核表达质粒pcDNA3.1-HSP70,再将重组质粒稳定转染到CHO/dhfr-细胞中,筛选获得稳定的细胞系,运用RT-qPCR检测和Western blot分析HSP70基因的过表达。在过表达HSP70的CHO细胞组和对照细胞组(转染空载体pcDNA3.1的CHO细胞组)中分别转染表达抗-HBs的质粒,应用ELISA检测两组细胞表达抗-HBs的能力。RT-qPCR结果显示实验组CHO细胞中HSP70基因的表达量明显高于对照组细胞;ELISA检测结果表明过表达HSP70的CHO细胞组抗-HBs表达量高于对照组细胞(P<0.05)。研究揭示HSP70能有效促进细胞内分泌性蛋白的表达。     

Overexpression of G-Protein-Coupled Receptor 40 Enhances the Mitogenic Response to Epoxyeicosatrienoic Acids

The cytochrome P450 epoxygenase-dependent arachidonic acid metabolites, epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs), are potent survival factors and mitogens for renal epithelial cells, but the molecular identity in the cells that initiates the mitogenic signaling of EETs has remained elusive. We screened kidney cell lines for the expression of G-protein-coupled receptor 40 (GPR40) and found that the porcine renal tubular epithelial cell line LLCPKcl4, which has been previously demonstrated to be sensitive to the mitogenic effect of EETs, expresses higher levels of GPR40 mRNA and protein than the human embryonic kidney cell line HEK293. EETs induced only a weak mitogenic EGFR signaling and mild cell proliferation in HEK293 cells. To determine whether GPR40 expression level is what mediates the mitogenic sensitivity of cells to EETs, we created a human GPR40 (hGPR40) cDNA construct and transfected it into HEK293 cells and picked up a number of stable transfectants. We found that GPR40 overexpression in HEK293 cells indeed significantly enhanced EET-induced cell proliferation and markedly augmented EGFR phosphorylation ERK activation, which were inhibited by the EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor, AG1478, or the HB-EGF inhibitor, CRM197. EETs significantly enhanced release of soluble HB-EGF, a natural ligand of EGFR, into the culture medium of hGPR40-transfected HEK293 cells, compared to empty vector-transfected cells. In mouse kidneys, markedly higher level of GPR40 protein was found in the cortex and outer stripe of outer medulla compared to the inner stripe of outer medulla and inner medulla. In situ hybridization confirmed that GPR40 mRNA was localized to a subset of renal tubules in the kidney, including the cortical collecting duct. Thus, this study provides the first demonstration that upregulation of GPR40 expression enhances the mitogenic response to EETs and a relatively high expression level of GPR40 is detected in a subset of tubules including cortical collecting ducts in the mammalian kidney.     

Pre-Exposure to Moving Form Enhances Static Form Sensitivity

Background

Motion-defined form can seem to persist briefly after motion ceases, before seeming to gradually disappear into the background. Here we investigate if this subjective persistence reflects a signal capable of improving objective measures of sensitivity to static form.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We presented a sinusoidal modulation of luminance, masked by a background noise pattern. The sinusoidal luminance modulation was usually subjectively invisible when static, but visible when moving. We found that drifting then stopping the waveform resulted in a transient subjective persistence of the waveform in the static display. Observers'' objective sensitivity to the position of the static waveform was also improved after viewing moving waveforms, compared to viewing static waveforms for a matched duration. This facilitation did not occur simply because movement provided more perspectives of the waveform, since performance following pre-exposure to scrambled animations did not match that following pre-exposure to smooth motion. Observers did not simply remember waveform positions at motion offset, since removing the waveform before testing reduced performance.

Conclusions/Significance

Motion processing therefore interacts with subsequent static visual inputs in a way that can improve performance in objective sensitivity measures. We suggest that the brief subjective persistence of motion-defined forms that can occur after motion offsets is a consequence of the decay of a static form signal that has been transiently enhanced by motion processing.     

BIRB796, the Inhibitor of p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase,Enhances the Efficacy of Chemotherapeutic Agents in ABCB1 Overexpression Cells

ATP-binding-cassette family membrane proteins play an important role in multidrug resistance. In this study, we investigated BIRB796, an orally active inhibitor of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, reversed MDR induced by ABCB1, ABCG2 and ABCC1. Our results showed that BIRB796 could reverse ABCB1-mediated MDR in both the drug selected and transfected ABCB1-overexpressing cell models, but did not enhance the efficacy of substrate-chemotherapeutical agents in ABCC1 or ABCG2 overexpression cells and their parental sensitive cells. Furthermore, BIRB796 increased the intracellular accumulation of the ABCB1 substrates, such as rhodamine 123 and doxorubicin. Moreover, BIRB796 bidirectionally mediated the ATPase activity of ABCB1, stimulating at low concentration, inhibiting at high concentration. However, BIRB796 did not alter the expression of ABCB1 both at protein and mRNA level. The down-regulation of p38 by siRNA neither affected the expression of ABCB1 nor the cytotoxic effect of paclitaxel on KBV200. The binding model of BIRB796 within the large cavity of the transmembrane region of ABCB1 may form the basis for future lead optimization studies. Importantly, BIRB796 also enhanced the effect of paclitaxel on the inhibition of growth of the ABCB1-overexpressing KBV200 cell xenografts in nude mice. Overall, we conclude that BIRB796 reverses ABCB1-mediated MDR by directly inhibiting its transport function. These findings may be useful for cancer combinational therapy with BIRB796 in the clinic.     

Ouabain Suppresses the Migratory Behavior of Lung Cancer Cells

The migratory capability of cancer cells is one of the most important hallmarks reflecting metastatic potential. Ouabain, an endogenous cardiac glycoside produced by the adrenal gland, has been previously reported to have anti-tumor activities; however, its role in the regulation of cancer cell migration remains unknown. The present study has revealed that treatment with ouabain at physiological concentrations is able to inhibit the migratory activities of human lung cancer H292 cells. The negative effects of ouabain were found to be mediated through the suppression of migration regulatory proteins, such as focal adhesion kinase (FAK), ATP-dependent tyrosine kinase (Akt), and cell division cycle 42 (Cdc42). We found that the observed actions of ouabain were mediated via a reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent mechanism because the addition of ROS scavengers (N-acetylcysteine and glutathione) could reverse the effect of ouabain on cell migration. Furthermore, ouabain was shown to inhibit the spheroidal tumor growth and decrease the cancer cell adhesion to endothelial cells. However, the compound had no significant effect on anoikis of the cells. Together, these findings shed light on the understanding of cancer cell biology by exploring the novel function of this endogenous human substance.     

Quercetin Enhances Cisplatin Sensitivity of Human Osteosarcoma Cells by Modulating microRNA-217-KRAS Axis

Quercetin can suppress osteosarcoma cell growth and metastasis. However, other effects of quercetin on osteosarcoma remain largely unknown. This research aims to evaluate the effects of quercetin in combination with cisplatin as treatment for osteosarcoma and investigate its regulatory mechanism. Cell viability and apoptosis in 143B cell line were determined after treatment with quercetin and/or cisplatin. RT-PCR and Western blot analysis were performed to determine the RNA or protein expression levels. Moreover, transwell assay was used to evaluate metastasis. Furthermore, rescue experiments were performed to investigate the potential regulatory mechanism of the treatment. Results showed that quercetin with concentration that was equal to or greater than 10 μM inhibited 143B proliferation, while 5 μM quercetin enhanced the cisplatin sensitivity of 143B cells. Expression of miR-217 was upregulated after quercetin and/or cisplatin treatment, while its target KRAS was downregulated both at mRNA and protein levels. MiR-217 knockdown led to the loss of enhanced cisplatin sensitivity while miR-217 overexpression showed the opposite effects, indicating that quercetin regulated cisplatin sensitivity by modulating the miR-217-KRAS axis. In conclusion, 5 μM quercetin enhanced the cisplatin sensitivity by modulating the miR-217-KRAS axis. This finding suggests that quercetin may be administered with cisplatin to improve the treatment for osteosarcoma.     

Overexpression of S-Adenosylmethionine Synthetase Enhances Tolerance to Cold Stress in Tobacco

Russian Journal of Plant Physiology - Cold stress affects plant growth and crop productivity. Consequently, there is considerable interest in plant genes that respond to cold stress as these might...