TGF-β1对乳腺癌细胞系Snail表达的影响

目的通过TGF-β1诱导乳腺癌MCF-7发生上皮-间质转化(epithelial-mesenchymal transition,EMT)后检测锌指转录因子Snail表达的改变,探讨Snail在EMT及乳腺癌发生发展中的作用。方法常规培养乳腺癌细胞株MCF-7后,用TGF-β1诱导其发生EMT,用Transwell侵袭小室法进行细胞体外侵袭能力检测;用免疫组织化学方法及免疫荧光检测E-cadherin、Vi mentin、Snail的表达;用real ti me PCR检测E-cadherin、Vi mentin、Snail mRNA的表达。结果TGF-β1处理72h后的MCF-7细胞穿透能力明显增强。E-cadherin蛋白及mRNA表达减少,Vi mentin、Snail蛋白及mRNA表达增加。结论E-cadherin、Vi mentin是细胞发生EMT的重要生物学标志,Snail可能在转录水平上调控E-cadherin、Vi mentin蛋白的表达,Snail在EMT和乳腺癌的发生发展中起着重要的作用。     

转录因子Snail与胆道癌发生发展的关系

胆道癌是常见的消化道恶性肿瘤,发病较隐匿,早期常无明显临床症状及体征,恶性程度高,转移早,一经临床确诊多为中晚期,手术切除率低,预后差。目前,虽然有关胆道肿瘤相关分子生物学的研究很多,但尚未取得实质性进展。Snail转录抑制因子对生物胚胎的发育和细胞的分化具有重要作用,尤其在上皮细胞正常分化和增殖过程中起关键作用。相关研究表明Snail与消化道肿瘤发生发展有一定相关性。本文拟就国内外有关转录因子snail与胆道癌发生发展的相互关系的研究作一综述,旨在为胆道癌的临床诊治方案的选择和预后评估提供参考依据。     

mTOR信号通路与细胞生长调控

mTOR （the ammalian target of mpamycin）是一个进化上十分保守的蛋白激酶,属于PIKK（the phosphatidylinsoitol kinase—related kinase）超家族,作为Ser/Thr激酶而起作用。它可以汇聚和整合来自于营养、生长因子、能量和环境压力对细胞的刺激信号,进而通过下游效应器（4EBPl和S6Ks）调节细胞生长。mTOR信号通路还影响胚胎干细胞和早期胚胎的发育,并且与肿瘤、肥胖及代谢紊乱等疾病有关。对mTOR信号通路的生理功能、分子组成和调节机制的研究不仅可以深入了解细胞生长调控的机制,而且对于相关疾病的治疗具有重要意义。     

核转录因子Snail调控上皮-间质转型机制的研究

上皮-间质转型在纤维化及肿瘤侵袭转移中发挥着重要作用,多种因子作用于核转录因子Snail诱导细胞通路改变,以实现对上皮．间质转型进行调控。因此对Snail调控上皮．间质转化信号转导机制的研究,为发展新的治疗策略提供了重要信息。     

核转录因子Snail 调控上皮- 间质转型机制的研究

上皮-间质转型在纤维化及肿瘤侵袭转移中发挥着重要作用,多种因子作用于核转录因子Snail诱导细胞通路改变,以实现对上皮-间质转型进行调控。因此对Snail调控上皮-间质转化信号转导机制的研究,为发展新的治疗策略提供了重要信息。     

PLZF与哺乳动物雄性生殖干细胞的发育分化

早幼粒细胞白血病锌指蛋白（promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger,PLZF）,也被称为ZBTB16(zinc finger and BTB domain containing 16,ZBTB16)或锌指蛋白145(zinc finger protein 145,ZFP145),是我国学者发现与人类疾病相关的蛋白质.人类PLZF的是由673个氨基酸残基组成的转录抑制因子,属于蛋白质超家族. 该超家族以N端的BTB/POZ（bric-à-brac, tramtrack, brad complex(BTB)/poxvirus zinc finger (POZ) domain）结构为特征. PLZF蛋白的BTB/POZ结构与个体发育、胚胎发生、染色体的重构等事件相关.近年发现,PLZF在哺乳动物雄性生殖干细胞（male germline stem cells,mGSCs）发育分化过程中也发挥重要作用.探讨PLZF的生物学功能和作用机制,将有助于理解其在mGSCs发育过程中的重要作用. 本文就PLZF在维持mGSCs自我更新和在发育分化调控中的作用给予综述.     

人骨形成蛋白-3成熟肽cDNA的扩增、克隆和序列测定

骨形成蛋白(bone morphogenetic protein,BMP)作为TGF-β超家族成员,可以诱导未分化的间质细胞向软骨细胞分化,然后通过软骨内成骨形成骨组织,对难治性骨折的愈合及各种骨缺损的修复有明显的促进作用。另外,BMP在胚胎发生和神经发育过程中也起重要作用。但是由于BMP在骨组织中含量甚微,提取方法繁琐,故不能满足临床应用和基础研究需要,随着人BMP(hBMP)1～13 cDNA基因的克隆,人们已在COS、CHO等真核细胞中表     

利用DNA免疫技术制备SAX蛋白多克隆抗体

骨形态发生蛋白(BMP)属于细胞因子和转化生长因子β(TGF-β)超家族,在胚胎形态发生和器官形成中起重要作用,但目前缺乏BMP信号通路I型受体SAX的各类抗体。本文利用果蝇胚胎提取出总RNA,反转录得到cDNA,将其作为模板通过PCR得到sax基因片段,将片段连接到pCAGGS-P7上,构建成重组质粒pCAGGS-P7-sax。采用质粒DNA免疫技术,免疫了BALB/C小鼠,制备了果蝇SAX蛋白多克隆抗体。进一步分析表明,构建的真核表达重组质粒pCAGGS-P7-saxDNA具有良好的免疫原性,在免疫小鼠后所获得的抗血清抗体效价达1∶100。Western blot和果蝇胚胎免疫荧光检测表明,抗血清能特异型地识别SAX蛋白。果蝇SAX抗体的成功制备为进一步研究sax基因及BMP信号在果蝇心脏发育中的作用奠定了基础。     

Snail基因修饰对骨髓基质干细胞骨架结构稳定作用及促迁移和对无血清培养诱导细胞凋亡的保护作用研究

转录因子Snail是调控肿瘤细胞迁徙转移的重要调控分子,基于干细胞与肿瘤细胞分子机制的重叠性,提出通过借鉴肿瘤细胞迁移的相关机制以用于提高骨髓基质干细胞向缺氧受损组织迁移能力的假设和研究思路,探讨Snail基因在人骨髓基质干细胞(MSCs)中的转染和表达情况,及转染后对基质干细胞促迁移作用、骨架结构的稳定作用及对无血清培养诱导细胞凋亡的保护作用。密度梯度离心法及细胞体外培养分离纯化人骨髓MSCs,脂质体法将重组表达载体pCAGGSneo-Snail-HA转染MSCs,G418筛选稳定表达,流式细胞仪检测MSCs表面抗原,采用免疫荧光染色技术检测转染后MSCs报告基因HA及目的基因Snail表达,Transwell细胞迁移实验和Western-blot评估细胞迁移能力和检测有关细胞信号转导通路分子水平变化,荧光染色分析细胞骨架,Sub-G1凋亡峰流式细胞仪检测细胞凋亡率并评估细胞抗凋亡能力。经流式细胞仪选择检测分离纯化扩增MSCs表面分子特点为CD34(-)/CD29( ),Snail及报告基因在转染后MSCs呈阳性表达,Snail质粒转染MSCs(MSCs-Sna)较对照空质粒转染MSCs(MSCs-neo)细胞迁移率增加(P<0.05),PI-3K信号通路特异性抑制剂Wortmannin能显著抑制此迁移率的增加,无血清培养72h后,MSCs-Sna凋亡率较MSCs-neo低(P<0.05)。经Snail基因转染,MSCs迁移能力、骨架结构的稳定性及在无血清培养环境中抗凋亡能力增加。     

Snail mRNA及其蛋白在乳腺癌中的表达研究

目的观察Snail蛋白及mRNA在人乳腺癌组织中的表达及其与临床病理特征的关系,并探讨它在乳腺癌发生、发展及转移中的作用。方法应用SP免疫组织化学和原位分子杂交方法检测Snail蛋白和Snail mRNA在70例乳腺浸润性导管癌、30例乳腺导管内癌、30例乳腺单纯性增生组织中的表达。结果①70例乳腺癌中,Snail蛋白和Snail mRNA阳性率分别为87.2%(61/70)、81.4%(57/70),分别高于乳腺导管内癌组织53.3%(16/30)、46.7%(14/30)和乳腺单纯性增生组织26.7%(8/30)、23.3%(7/30),三者相比有统计学意义(χ2=36.4,P<0.01;χ2=32.4,P<0.01)。②Snail蛋白和SnailmRNA在有淋巴结转移组中的阳性率为97.6%(40/41)、95.1%(39/41),无转移组阳性率为72.4%(21/29)、62.1%(18/29),两者相比有统计学意义(χ2=8.29,P<0.01);组织学分级Ⅲ级组明显高于Ⅰ、Ⅱ级组表达,但无统计学意义(χ2=0.72,P>0.05;χ2=0.98,P>0.05)。③Snail蛋白与Snail mRNA的表达与年龄、肿瘤大小均无关(P>0.05)。结论 Snail蛋白与Snail mRNA的表达呈正相关,与乳腺癌的发生发展、淋巴结转移密切相关,可作为判断乳腺癌预后、转移的生物学标志。     

Snail/beta-catenin signaling protects breast cancer cells from hypoxia attack

The tolerance of cancer cells to hypoxia depends on the combination of different factors – from increase of glycolysis (Warburg Effect) to activation of intracellular growth/apoptotic pathways. Less is known about the influence of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and EMT-associated pathways on the cell sensitivity to hypoxia. The aim of this study was to explore the role of Snail signaling, one of the key EMT pathways, in the mediating of hypoxia response and regulation of cell sensitivity to hypoxia, using as a model in vitro cultured breast cancer cells. Earlier we have shown that estrogen-independent HBL-100 breast cancer cells differ from estrogen-dependent MCF-7 cells with increased expression of Snail1, and demonstrated Snail1 involvement into formation of hormone-resistant phenotype. Because Snail1 belongs to hypoxia-activated proteins, here we studied the influence of Snail1 signaling on the cell tolerance to hypoxia. We found that Snail1-enriched HBL-100 cells were less sensitive to hypoxia-induced growth suppression if compared with MCF-7 line (31% MCF-7 vs. 71% HBL-100 cell viability after 1% O₂ atmosphere for 3 days). Snail1 knock-down enhanced the hypoxia-induced inhibition of cell proliferation giving the direct evidence of Snail1 involvement into cell protection from hypoxia attack. The protective effect of Snail1 was shown to be mediated, at least in a part, via beta-catenin which positively regulated expression of HIF-1-dependent genes. Finally, we found that cell tolerance to hypoxia was accompanied with the failure in the phosphorylation of AMPK – the key energy sensor, and demonstrated an inverse relationship between AMPK and Snail/beta-catenin signaling.Totally, our data show that Snail1 and beta-catenin, besides association with loss of hormone dependence, protect cancer cells from hypoxia and may serve as an important target in the treatment of breast cancer. Moreover, we suggest that the level of these proteins as well the level of AMPK phosphorylation may be considered as predictors of the tumor sensitivity to anti-angiogenic drugs.     

Snail regulates cell survival and inhibits cellular senescence in human metastatic prostate cancer cell lines

The epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) is regarded as an important step in cancer metastasis. Snail, a master regulator of EMT, has been recently proposed to act additionally as a cell survival factor and inducer of motility. We have investigated the function of Snail (SNAI1) in prostate cancer cells by downregulating its expression via short (21-mer) interfering RNA (siRNA) and measuring the consequences on EMT markers, cell viability, death, cell cycle, senescence, attachment, and invasivity. Of eight carcinoma cell lines, the prostate carcinoma cell lines LNCaP and PC-3 showed the highest and moderate expression of SNAI1 mRNA, respectively, as measured by quantitative RT-PCR. Long-term knockdown of Snail induced a severe decline in cell numbers in LNCaP and PC-3 and caspase activity was accordingly enhanced in both cell lines. In addition, suppression of Snail expression induced senescence in LNCaP cells. SNAI1-siRNA-treated cells did not tolerate detachment from the extracellular matrix, probably due to downregulation of integrin α6. Expression of E-cadherin, vimentin, and fibronectin was also affected. Invasiveness of PC-3 cells was not significantly diminished by Snail knockdown. Our data suggest that Snail acts primarily as a survival factor and inhibitor of cellular senescence in prostate cancer cell lines. We therefore propose that Snail can act as early driver of prostate cancer progression.     

Snail1a and Snail1b cooperate in the anterior migration of the axial mesendoderm in the zebrafish embryo

The Snail genes are implicated in processes that involve cell movement, both during embryonic development and tumour progression. In teleosts, the vertebrate Snail1 gene is represented by two distinct genes, snail1a and snail1b (previously snail1 and snail2). These genes are expressed in complementary mesodermal domains and their combined expression matches that of their mammalian counterpart. By analysing their loss and gain of function, we found that the most-anterior axial mesendodermal cells, the precursors of the polster, move in a cohesive manner directed by the activity of snail1a- and snail1b-expressing cells surrounding these precursors. The cell-autonomous function of Snail1 proteins regulates cell motility and influences the behaviour of Snail-negative neighbouring cells. Snail1a is required by the prechordal plate for it to reach its normal position, whereas Snail1b controls the acquisition of its normal shape. These non-redundant functions of Snail1a and Snail1b in controlling axial mesendoderm migration comply with the duplication-degeneration-complementation model, and indicate that Snail genes not only act as inducers of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, but also as more general regulators of cell adhesion and movement.