Correlation between PTEN and P62 gene expression in rat colorectal cancer cell

ObjectiveAutophagy is a cellular pathway that regulates the transportation and degradation of cytoplasmic macromolecules and organelles towards lysosome, which is often related to the tumorigenesis and tumor suppression. Here, we investigate the regulating effect of PTEN gene on autophagy-related protein P62 in rat colorectal cancer (CRC) cells and explore the application value of PTEN gene in clinic.MethodsRat colorectal cancer was induced by intraperitoneal injection of 1,2-dimethyl hydrazine in male ACI rats. A total of 20 rats were randomly selected from those successfully induced with CRC as the experimental group, while 10 healthy rats as control. The rat CRC cells were isolated and cultured. After transfecting the rat CRC cells with pEGFP-N1-PTEN plasmid, RT-PCR was adopted to examine that gene expression of p62 and PTEN, while Western blotting was used to detect the protein expression of p62 and PTEN. Also, the proliferation of CRC cells was measured by MTT assay.ResultsThe expression of PTEN gene in the experimental group was significantly inhibited as compared with the control group, while the expression of P62 gene was significantly increased (p < 0.05). Western blotting demonstrated that the PTEN protein in the experimental group was lower, while the expression of P62 protein was higher. When the CRC cells were transfected with pEGFP-N1-PTEN plasmid, the PTEN expressions were elevated, while p62 was down-regulated. Also, the proliferation of CRC cells was inhibited.ConclusionThe expression of PTEN gene is negatively correlated with the expression of P62 gene in rat CRC cells. And the expression of PTEN gene can inhibit the occurrence and development of colorectal cancer, thus providing theoretical basis for future clinical treatment.     

用基因芯片研究高苯丙氨酸诱导神经元基因表达谱的改变

为深入了解苯丙酮尿症患者高苯丙氨酸损伤神经元的可能机制,我们将体外培养3d的胚鼠神经元随机分为两组：高苯丙氨酸组和对照组。高苯丙氨酸组加入0．9mmol/L苯丙氨酸诱导12h,对照组加入等体积的培养液,抽提RNA,与大鼠神经生物学芯片U34杂交,检测胚鼠原代神经元高苯丙氨酸作用下表达谱的改变,并用实时荧光定量聚合酶链式反应方法验证基因芯片的结果。发现芯片上1323条总探针组合数中有167条基因表达增加(12．6％),表达下调的已知基因数为7条,占总探针组合数的0.5％。按基因功能,表达上升的基因可分为信号转导相关基因、神经元相关基因、细胞骨架基因、代谢相关基因、离子通道基因、转录相关基因、细胞因子基因、凋亡相关基因等。研究结果证实了以前的报道,如Na^ 、K^ -ATP酶、凋亡、氧化应激、NMDA受体、Ca^2 参与了高苯丙氨酸对神经元的损伤过程。结果还显示,在高苯丙氨酸环境下,CaMKⅡ、Ras、P38、钙通道基因表达上升,部分与囊泡形成、神经递质释放有关的基因表达增强,与神经递质谷氨酸有关的受体和转运体基因表达上升。我们推测高苯丙氨酸可能激活轴NMDR Ca^2 -CaMKⅡ-Ras-P38,引起神经元突起异常;高苯丙氨酸环境下,神经递质释放可能异常：兴奋性神经递质谷氨酸可能参与了高苯丙氨酸引起的神经元损伤。高苯丙氨酸对神经元的损伤是多因素作用。     

Overlapping expression of microRNAs in human embryonic colon and colorectal cancer

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are essential for regulating cell differentiation and maintaining the pluripotent state of stem cells. Although dysregulation of specific miRNAs has been associated with certain types of cancer, to date no evidence has linked miRNA expression in embryonic and tumor tissues. We assessed the expression of mature miRNAs in human embryonic colon tissue, and in colorectal cancer and paired normal colon tissue. Overlapping miRNA expression was detected between embryonic colonic mucosa and colorectal cancer. We have found that the miR-17-92 cluster and its target, E2F1, exhibit a similar pattern of expression in human colon development and colonic carcinogenesis, regulating cell proliferation in both cases. In situ hybridization confirmed the high level of expression of miR-17-5p in the crypt progenitor compartment. We conclude that miRNA pathways play a major role in both embryonic development and neoplastic transformation of the colonic epithelium.     

Alteration in expression of the rat mitochondrial ATPase 6 gene during Pneumocystis carinii infection

Background

Norwalk virus causes outbreaks of acute non-bacterial gastroenteritis in humans. The virus capsid is composed of a single 60 kDa protein. In a previous study, the capsid protein of recombinant Norwalk virus genogroup II was expressed in an E. coli system and monoclonal antibodies were generated against it. The analysis of the reactivity of those monoclonal antibodies suggested that the N-terminal domain might contain more antigenic epitopes than the C-terminal domain. In the same study, two broadly reactive monoclonal antibodies were observed to react with genogroup I recombinant protein.

Results

In the present study, we used the recombinant capsid protein of genogroup I and characterized the obtained 17 monoclonal antibodies by using 19 overlapping fragments. Sixteen monoclonal antibodies recognized sequential epitopes on three antigenic regions, and the only exceptional monoclonal antibody recognized a conformational epitope. As for the two broadly reactive monoclonal antibodies generated against genogroup II, we indicated that they recognized fragment 2 of genogroup I. Furthermore, genogroup I antigen from a patient's stool was detected by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using genogroup I specific monoclonal antibody and biotinated broadly reactive monoclonal antibody.

Conclusion

The reactivity analysis of above monoclonal antibodies suggests that the N-terminal domain may contain more antigenic epitopes than the C-terminal domain as suggested in our previous study. The detection of genogroup I antigen from a patient's stool by our system suggested that the monoclonal antibodies generated against E. coli expressed capsid protein can be used to detect genogroup I antigens in clinical material.     

血管紧张素Ⅱ受体阻断对心肌成纤维细胞信号转导相关基因表达谱的影响

为了研究血管紧张素Ⅱ（angiotensinⅡ,AngⅡ）受体在成年大鼠心肌成纤维细胞的信号转导机制,分离及培养成年Sprague-Dawley大鼠心肌成纤维细胞,采用免疫组化染色测定AngⅡ受体的蛋白表达。将细胞随机分为四组进行药物干预48h：AngⅡ组、AngⅡ＋losartan组、AngⅡ＋PD123319组和AngⅡ＋losartan＋PD123319组。抽提mRNA制备cDNA探针,与G蛋白耦联受体信号通路发现者基因芯片杂交,筛选表达差异的基因。发现血管紧张素Ⅱ 1型（angiotensinⅡ type1,AT1）受体被losartan阻断后,AngⅡ刺激的心肌成纤维细胞血管紧张素Ⅱ2型（angiotensinⅡ type2,AT2）受体蛋白高表达;34个基因表达差异在2倍以上,30个下调,4个上调,其最大改变不超过20倍;9条信号通路被活化：cAMP／PKA、Ca^2＋、PKC、PLC、MAPK、PI-3K、NO-cGMP、Rho、NF-κB通路。当AT2受体被PD123319阻断时,64个基因表达差异在2倍以上,48个下调,16个上调;11条途径基础活化,其中7个基因的改变在30倍以上：Cyp19a1（37倍）、I1lr2（42倍）、Cflar（53倍）、Bcl21（31倍）、Pik3cg（278倍）、Cdknla（90倍）、Agt（162倍）。在AT1受体阻断的基础上再阻断AT2受体,46个基因表达差异在2倍以上,36个下调,10个上调;11条信号途径全部活化。其结果与单独阻断AT2受体信号途径基本一致。RT-PCR选取IL-1β和TNF-α进行验证,结果与芯片各组间的变化趋势基本相符。结果表明,在成年大鼠心肌成纤维细胞,AT2受体阻断明显不同于AT1受体阻断,在信号转导通路相关基因表达谱上,两者有显著差异。     

miRNA expression in colon polyps provides evidence for a multihit model of colon cancer

Changes in miRNA expression are a common feature in colon cancer. Those changes occurring in the transition from normal to adenoma and from adenoma to carcinoma, however, have not been well defined. Additionally, miRNA changes among tumor subgroups of colon cancer have also not been adequately evaluated. In this study, we examined the global miRNA expression in 315 samples that included 52 normal colonic mucosa, 41 tubulovillous adenomas, 158 adenocarcinomas with proficient DNA mismatch repair (pMMR) selected for stage and age of onset, and 64 adenocarcinomas with defective DNA mismatch repair (dMMR) selected for sporadic (n = 53) and inherited colon cancer (n = 11). Sporadic dMMR tumors all had MLH1 inactivation due to promoter hypermethylation. Unsupervised PCA and cluster analysis demonstrated that normal colon tissue, adenomas, pMMR carcinomas and dMMR carcinomas were all clearly discernable. The majority of miRNAs that were differentially expressed between normal and polyp were also differentially expressed with a similar magnitude in the comparison of normal to both the pMMR and dMMR tumor groups, suggesting a stepwise progression for transformation from normal colon to carcinoma. Among the miRNAs demonstrating the largest fold up- or down-regulated changes (≥4), four novel (miR-31, miR-1, miR-9 and miR-99a) and two previously reported (miR-137 and miR-135b) miRNAs were identified in the normal/adenoma comparison. All but one of these (miR-99a) demonstrated similar expression differences in the two normal/carcinoma comparisons, suggesting that these early tumor changes are important in both the pMMR- and dMMR-derived cancers. The comparison between pMMR and dMMR tumors identified four miRNAs (miR-31, miR-552, miR-592 and miR-224) with statistically significant expression differences (≥2-fold change).     

A rat model to study the role of STn antigen in colon cancer

Expression of the mucin-associated sialyl-Tn (STn) antigen has been associated with a decreased survival in patients with colorectal, gastric, and ovarian cancer. To better understand the role of STn antigen in tumor biology, we developed STn(+) (called LP) and STn(-) (called LN) clonal cell lines from a parental metastatic rat colon carcinoma cell line (LMCR). Both derivative cell lines exhibited identical proliferation rates in vitro. LP cells strongly expressed STn antigen both in vitro and in vivo, and were poorly tumorigenic when given to syngeneic rats. LN cells did not express STn antigen in vitro, but as in vivo tumors these cells rapidly acquired STn expression, readily formed tumors, and were highly lethal. When rats were given an otherwise lethal inoculum of i.p. LN cells, pre-immunization with synthetic STn antigen conjugated to keyhole limpet hemocyanin (STn-KLH) resulted in a 60% survival rate. When LN cells were injected subcutaneously in the presence of STn-KLH-sensitized lymphocytes, tumor growth was decreased. Distribution of STn antigen in normal organs of host rats is quite similar to that of humans. This model mimics human disease and should facilitate studies of mucin-associated antigens in tumor biology and the development of immunotherapeutic agents based on mucin-related antigens.     

Coupled two-way clustering analysis of breast cancer and colon cancer gene expression data

We present and review coupled two-way clustering, a method designed to mine gene expression data. The method identifies submatrices of the total expression matrix, whose clustering analysis reveals partitions of samples (and genes) into biologically relevant classes. We demonstrate, on data from colon and breast cancer, that we are able to identify partitions that elude standard clustering analysis. AVAILABILITY: Free, at http://ctwc.weizmann.ac.il.. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: http://www.weizmann.ac.il/physics/complex/compphys/bioinfo2/