Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptors in Neuroblastoma SKNBE Cells and Their Regulation by Retinoic Acid

Abstract: The human neuroblastoma cell line SKNBE can be differentiated either by serum removal or by adding to the culture medium different morphogens, for instance, retinoic acid (RA), cyclic AMP derivatives, and phorbol esters. Both the differentiated and undifferentiated cells express the two types of membrane tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptors (TNFRs) of 55 and 75 kDa (p55 and p75 TNFR, respectively) and also their soluble forms. After RA addition the number of the surface TNFRs per cell is increased approximately twofold, but the kinetics of expression are different, depending on the receptor type. The level of the mRNAs of 2.4 and 4.2 kb, which, respectively, encode the p55 and p75 TNFRs, is also increased during the time course of differentiation, and the kinetics of their expression are biphasic. In contrast, the number of TNFRs and the level of their encoding mRNAs remain unchanged after exposure of the cells to both a phorbol and a cyclic AMP derivative.     

转录因子AP-4基因真核表达载体构建及表达分析

本研究利用生物信息学分析AP-4与胃癌患者临床病理信息的相关性,根据GenBank中人AP-4基因cDNA序列设计并合成特异性引物,以胃癌细胞总RNA逆转录的cDNA为模板,利用高保真酶扩增AP-4基因CDS (Coding DNA sequence)序列并构建入pcDNA3.1+载体,并通过限制性内切酶酶切分析和测序法进行进一步验证;脂质体法将AP-4重组表达载体及对照pcDNA3.1+载体转染胃癌细胞,qRT-PCR(Quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction)和Western blotting检测分别检测AP-4在m RNA和蛋白水平的表达。生物信息学分析发现,AP-4的表达与胃癌分期及预后显著相关;酶切及测序分析表明,转录因子AP-4真核表达载体构建成功,并能够在胃癌细胞中实现转录和蛋白水平的高效表达。此研究为深入研究转录因子AP-4在胃癌等肿瘤发生发展中的作用及分子机制奠定了基础。     

Depletion of Retinoic Acid Receptors Initiates a Novel Positive Feedback Mechanism that Promotes Teratogenic Increases in Retinoic Acid

Normal embryonic development and tissue homeostasis require precise levels of retinoic acid (RA) signaling. Despite the importance of appropriate embryonic RA signaling levels, the mechanisms underlying congenital defects due to perturbations of RA signaling are not completely understood. Here, we report that zebrafish embryos deficient for RA receptor αb1 (RARαb1), a conserved RAR splice variant, have enlarged hearts with increased cardiomyocyte (CM) specification, which are surprisingly the consequence of increased RA signaling. Importantly, depletion of RARαb2 or concurrent depletion of RARαb1 and RARαb2 also results in increased RA signaling, suggesting this effect is a broader consequence of RAR depletion. Concurrent depletion of RARαb1 and Cyp26a1, an enzyme that facilitates degradation of RA, and employment of a novel transgenic RA sensor line support the hypothesis that the increases in RA signaling in RAR deficient embryos are the result of increased embryonic RA coupled with compensatory RAR expression. Our results support an intriguing novel mechanism by which depletion of RARs elicits a previously unrecognized positive feedback loop that can result in developmental defects due to teratogenic increases in embryonic RA.     

Identification of a Nuclear Retinoic Acid-binding Activity Representative of Endogeneous Retinoic Acid Receptors in the Nuclei of Rat Liver and Testis

We found a nuclear RA-binding activity by using a sucrose-density-gradient assay from rat liver and testis. From the sedimentation analysis, and the comparison with cloned RARs, it is likely that these binding activities represent endogenous RARs. Furthermore we showed that these binding activities were constant irrespective of the retinoid status in the rat.     

WRKY转录因子表达谱的研究进展

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Ligand Induction of Retinoic Acid Receptors Alters an Acute Infection by Murine Cytomegalovirus

Here we report that administration of retinoids can alter the outcome of an acute murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) infection. We show that a crucial viral control element, the major immediate-early enhancer, can be activated by retinoic acid (RA) via multiple RA-responsive elements (DR2) that bind retinoid X receptor-retinoic acid receptor (RAR) heterodimers with apparent dissociation constants ranging from 15 to 33 nM. Viral growth is dramatically increased upon RA treatment of infected tissue culture cells. Using synthetic retinoid receptor-specific agonists and antagonists, we provide evidence that RAR activation in cells is required for mediating the response of MCMV to RA. Oral administration of RA to infected immunocompetent mice selectively exacerbates an infection by MCMV, while cotreatment with an RAR antagonist protects against the adverse effects of RA on MCMV infection. In conclusion, these chemical genetic experiments provide evidence that an RAR-mediated pathway can modulate in vitro and in vivo infections by MCMV.     

Knockdown of SALL4 Protein Enhances All-trans Retinoic Acid-induced Cellular Differentiation in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells

All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) is a differentiation agent that revolutionized the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia. However, it has not been useful for other types of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Here we explored the effect of SALL4, a stem cell factor, on ATRA-induced AML differentiation in both ATRA-sensitive and ATRA-resistant AML cells. Aberrant SALL4 expression has been found in nearly all human AML cases, whereas, in normal bone marrow and peripheral blood cells, its expression is only restricted to hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells. We reason that, in AMLs, SALL4 activation may prevent cell differentiation and/or protect self-renewal that is seen in normal hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells. Indeed, our studies show that ATRA-mediated myeloid differentiation can be largely blocked by exogenous expression of SALL4, whereas ATRA plus SALL4 knockdown causes significantly increased AML differentiation and cell death. Mechanistic studies indicate that SALL4 directly associates with retinoic acid receptor α and modulates ATRA target gene expression. SALL4 is shown to recruit lysine-specific histone demethylase 1 (LSD1) to target genes and alter the histone methylation status. Furthermore, coinhibition of LSD1 and SALL4 plus ATRA treatment exhibited the strongest anti-AML effect. These findings suggest that SALL4 plays an unfavorable role in ATRA-based regimes, highlighting an important aspect of leukemia therapy.     

Antagonism between Retinoic Acid and Fibroblast Growth Factor Signaling during Limb Development

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