核转录因子C/EBPβ的研究进展

C／EBPβ是转录因子C／EBPs(CCAAT enhancer binding proteins)家族的重要成员,其C端具有高度保守的DNA结合域和二聚化功能域。它主要通过对靶细胞基因转录的调节,参与细胞增殖与分化、肿瘤发生与凋亡、机体炎症反应等重要生命活动;其功能受到蛋白酶降解、磷酸化、蛋白质相互作用等多种途径的调控。本综述有关C／EBPβ的生物学功能及其调控机理近年来的一些研究进展。     

转录因子C/EBPβ的翻译后修饰

CCAAT增强子结合蛋白β(CCAAT enhancer-binding proteinβ,C/EBPβ)是转录因子C/EBP家族的重要成员。它通过对靶基因转录的调节,参与细胞增殖与分化、肿瘤发生与凋亡、细胞周期调控等重要生命活动,同时这些功能受到磷酸化、乙酰化、泛素化等多种翻译后修饰的调控。本文综述近年来有关C/EBPβ的翻译后修饰的研究进展。这些研究不仅为人们认识C/EBPβ的调控机制提供了一个新的角度,同时也可能为肥胖及相关代谢疾病的发生和治疗提供新的理解。     

Methamphetamine induces thoracic aortic aneurysm/dissection through C/EBPβ

AimsThoracic aortic aneurysm/dissection (TAAD) is a life-threatening disease with diverse clinical manifestations. Although the association between methamphetamine (METH) and TAAD is frequently observed, the causal relationship between METH abuse and aortic aneurysm/dissection has not been established. This study was designed to determine if METH causes aortic aneurysm/dissection and delineate the underlying mechanism.Methods and resultsA new TAAD model was developed by exposing METH to SD rats pre-treated with lysyl oxidase inhibitor β-aminopropionitrile (BAPN). Combination of METH and BAPN caused thoracic aortic aneurysm/dissection in 60% of rats. BAPN+METH significantly increased the expression and activities of both matrix metalloproteinase MMP2 and MMP9, consistent with the severe elastin breakage and dissection. Mechanistically, METH increased CCAAT-enhancer binding protein β (C/EBPβ) expression by enhancing mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 3 (Smad3) and extracellular regulated protein kinase (ERK1/2) signaling. METH also promoted C/EBPβ binding to MMP2 and MMP9 promoters. Blocking C/EBPβ significantly attenuated METH+BAPN-induced TAAD and MMP2/MMP9 expression. Moreover, BAPN+METH promoted aortic medial smooth muscle cell (SMC) apoptosis through C/EBPβ-mediated IGFBP5/p53/PUMA signaling pathways. More importantly, the expression of C/EBPβ, MMP2/MMP9, and apoptosis-promoting proteins was increased in the aorta of human patients with thoracic aortic dissection, suggesting that the mechanisms identified in animal study could be relevant to human disease.ConclusionsOur study demonstrated that METH exposure has a casual effect on TAAD. C/EBPβ mediates METH-introduced TAAD formation by causing elastin breakage, medial cell loss and degeneration. Therefore, C/EBPβ may be a potential factor for TAAD clinical diagnosis or treatment.     

Oxidative stress in acute pancreatitis: lost in translation?

Abstract

Oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis of acute pancreatitis, a severe and debilitating inflammation of the pancreas that carries a significant mortality, and which imposes a considerable financial burden on the health system due to patient care. Although extensive efforts have been directed towards the elucidation of critical underlying mechanisms and the identification of novel therapeutic targets, the disease remains without a specific therapy. In experimental animal models of acute pancreatitis, increased oxidative stress and decreased antioxidant defences have been observed, changes also detected in patients clinically. However, despite the promise of studies evaluating the effects of antioxidants in these model systems, translation to the clinic has thus far been disappointing. This may reflect many factors involved in the design of both preclinical and clinical evaluations of antioxidant therapy, not least the fact that most experimental studies have focussed on pre-treatment rather than post-injury assessment. This review has examined evidence relating to the involvement of oxidative stress in the pathophysiology of acute pancreatitis, focussing on experimental models and the clinical experience, including the experimental techniques employed and potential of antioxidant therapy.     

Developmental neurobiology and clinical disorders: lost in translation?

Advances in defining mechanisms of cortical development have been paralleled in recent years by an intense interest in translating these findings into greater insight of both childhood- and adult-onset cognitive and mental health disorders of developmental etiology. Successful integration of basic and clinical findings have been applied to monogenic disorders. The greater challenge lies in studying cortical development in the context of gene x environment interactions, which underlie the pathogenesis of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders. This can occur through an improved delineation of pathophysiological characteristics unique to specific complex disorders and the application of this information to the refinement of the most relevant model systems.     

转录因子C／EBPβ的研究进展

C／EBPs增强子结合蛋白是核转录因子,其作用范围广泛,既参与正常的生理代谢过程,又与多种疾病的发生和发展相关,其作用方式多样,对转录有正、负调控作用。C／EBPβ是其第二位成员主要通过对靶细胞基因转录的调节,参与细胞的增殖与分化、肿瘤的发生与凋亡等重要生命活动;其功能受到蛋白酶降解、磷酸化、蛋白质相互作用等多种途径的调控。本文就C／EBPs的调控机理及其与肿瘤的关系综述如下。     

转录因子CCAAT增强子结合蛋白β(C/EBPβ)的研究进展

CCAAT增强子结合蛋白β(CCAAT enhancer binding protein,C/EBPβ)是CCAAT增强子结合蛋白家族的一员。该家族是碱性亮氨酸拉链大家族的一个亚家族,在细胞分化、能量代谢、生长发育等多个进程中发挥作用。文章就C/EBPβ的结构、表达调控和生物学功能做一综述,并对研究应用进行了展望。     

C/EBPα基因与肿瘤

C/EBPα基因是抑癌基因,有抑制增殖、促进分化和调节DNA损伤反应等作用。各种机制如对抗性的蛋白质-蛋白质相互作用、基因突变和翻译后修饰等导致C/EBPα转录抑制或活性丧失,可能诱发肿瘤。本文结合国内外研究现状,介绍C/EBPα基因的结构、功能及与肿瘤的诊断、治疗和预后的关系。     

Orthopedic gene therapy—lost in translation?

Orthopedic gene therapy has been the topic of considerable research for two decades. The preclinical data are impressive and many orthopedic conditions are well suited to genetic therapies. But there have been few clinical trials and no FDA-approved product exists. This paper examines why this is so. The reasons are multifactorial. Clinical translation is expensive and difficult to fund by traditional academic routes. Because gene therapy is viewed as unsafe and risky, it does not attract major funding from the pharmaceutical industry. Start-up companies are burdened by the complex intellectual property environment and difficulties in dealing with the technology transfer offices of major universities. Successful translation requires close interactions between scientists, clinicians and experts in regulatory and compliance issues. It is difficult to create such a favorable translational environment. Other promising fields of biological therapy have contemplated similar frustrations approximately 20 years after their founding, so there seem to be more general constraints on translation that are difficult to define. Gene therapy has noted some major clinical successes in recent years, and a sense of optimism is returning to the field. We hope that orthopedic applications will benefit collaterally from this upswing and move expeditiously into advanced clinical trials.