槲皮素通过G4调控癌基因表达影响肿瘤细胞增殖与凋亡

该研究采用CCK-8法、流式细胞术、免疫印迹法、实时定量PCR和体外结合实验等方法检测了槲皮素对Hep-2和MCF-7细胞生长和凋亡,以及对受G4调控基因表达的影响。结果显示,槲皮素对Hep-2和MCF-7细胞生长具有明显抑制作用,并诱导细胞周期停滞在S期;槲皮素诱导Hep-2和MCF-7细胞凋亡,表现出磷脂酰丝氨酸外翻、细胞膜通透性增加、染色质凝集、caspase活化等凋亡特征;槲皮素显著抑制c-Myc、KRAS、YY1等受G4调控基因的表达;槲皮素促进c-Myc启动子区G4形成序列Pu27形成G4结构并抑制核蛋白与其结合。以上结果表明,槲皮素可能通过促进细胞内G4形成序列形成稳定G4结构并抑制G4解旋酶对其解旋,引起受G4调控的肿瘤相关基因表达降低,最终抑制肿瘤细胞生长并诱导细胞凋亡。     

槲皮素对节律钟基因的调控研究*

目的:探讨槲皮素对节律钟基因表达的影响。方法:通过50%的马血清刺激诱导人骨肉瘤U2OS细胞同步化,利用槲皮素处理同步化后的U2OS细胞。进一步利用荧光定量PCR检测节律钟关键基因的变化。利用western blot检测槲皮素对组蛋白乙酰化的影响,并且通过试剂盒测定槲皮素对细胞内氧化型烟酰胺腺嘌呤二核苷酸(NAD+)的影响。通过尼克酰胺和槲皮素同时处理U2OS细胞,利用荧光定量PCR检测节律钟关键基因的变化。结果:U2OS细胞经过槲皮素处理后节律钟关键基因芳烃受体核转位蛋白3(brain and muscle Arnt-like protein-1,BMAL1),节律周期蛋白2(Period 2, PER2),孤儿核受体alpha(REV-ERBα)和蓝光受体蛋白1(Cryptochrome 1,CRY1)在转录水平的表达水平有明显的升高。槲皮素处理可以显著降低U2OS细胞的组蛋白乙酰化的水平,并且显著升高U2OS细胞内的氧化型烟酰胺腺嘌呤二核苷酸的水平。进一步研究发现,尼克酰胺(Nicotinamide,NAM)处理完全抑制了槲皮素对节律基因的影响。结论:槲皮素显著地激活了节律钟关键基因的mRNA表达水平,槲皮素对于节律基因的调控依赖于Sirtuins的活性,其机制可能是由于槲皮素增加了细胞内的氧化型烟酰胺腺嘌呤二核苷酸的水平所导致。     

黄酮和黄酮醇诱导人食管癌细胞周期停滞的分子机制

黄酮和黄酮醇是两类具有抑癌活性的类黄酮化合物.为了探索它们对人食管癌细胞的抑制作用和分子机制,采用MTT法和流式细胞术,鉴定了3种黄酮(木犀草素、白杨素、芹菜素)和3种黄酮醇(槲皮素、山奈酚、杨梅素)对2株人食管癌细胞(鳞癌KYSE-510和腺癌OE33)的增殖抑制作用和G2/M周期停滞的诱导作用.结果表明,木犀草素和槲皮素分别对KYSE-510和OE33细胞的抑制活性相对最高.KYSE-510细胞和OE33细胞分别经木犀草素和槲皮素作用后,采用基因芯片分析细胞周期调控相关基因的表达变化.结果表明,木犀草素诱导KYSE-510细胞中p21-wafl的表达,抑制cyclin B1的表达,槲皮素诱导OE33细胞中GADD4513和14-3-3σ的表达,抑制cyclin B1的表达.采用荧光定量RT-PCR和Western-blot进一步验证基因芯片的分析结果,并比较了6种化合物对上述基因mRNA表达水平和蛋白质表达水平的影响.结果表明,p21硼、GADD45B、14-3-3σ和cyclin B1为介导黄酮和黄酮醇诱导KYSE-510和OE33细胞G2/M周期停滞的目标基因.     

大肠癌患者生存相关基因的筛选与网络调控分析

本研究筛选了与大肠癌患者生存期相关的关键基因,以探索这些基因所参与的信号调控网络.在前期研究中,通过对大肠癌相关表达谱数据GSE17538使用显著性分析软件SAM3.01对大肠癌患者生存期相关的基因进行筛选,得到了与大肠癌患者生存期相关的基因235个.对这235个基因进行以下筛选和分析:首先对235个基因进行转录因子结合位点富集分析,筛选含有转录因子结合位点数目大于7个的基因,再将这些基因与大肠癌上调基因集取交集,最后将筛选出的基因进行生存分析及网络调控分析,明确这些基因与大肠癌患者生存期的关系及在大肠癌细胞信号调控网络中所参与的信号网络.通过上述分析筛选出的与大肠癌患者生存期相关,受转录因子调控较多,且在大肠癌中表达上调的基因有6个,分别为STX2,PODXL,KLK6,GRB10,EHBP1和CREB5.这些基因所参与的信号调控网络与大肠癌转移相关信号通路相关.大肠癌患者生存期与大肠癌转移密切相关,生存期相关的6个基因通过调控大肠癌转移相关信号通路影响患者的生存期.     

植物缺氧响应相关基因的表达调控机制

对近年来缺氧应答相关基因的分离、克隆及缺氧响应信号转导模式与调控机制作了综述。分析了缺氧应答基因的序列特点,概述了植物感受缺氧胁迫的信号传递模式,阐述了缺氧响应的调控机制并着重讨论了调控因子AtMYB2的调控特点,并对缺氧相关研究进行了展望。     

花器官形成的基因调控

主要论述了花发育过程中花器官同源异形基因及其相关基因的调控机理。基因调控是一个复杂的 系统,花同源异形基因既受到上游基因的调控,同时又决定了下游基因的表达。对花发育基因调控的研究,不 仅可以从微观水平了解植物花发育的分子机制,同时对花卉等作物的遗传育种也具有重要的指导意义。     

癌症DNA甲基化调控位点的识别

DNA甲基化是一种重要的表观遗传学修饰,在基因的转录调控方面具有重要的作用。异常的DNA甲基化可以导致癌症等复杂疾病发生,癌基因相关的DNA甲基化调控位点的识别对于解析癌症的发生发展机制及识别新的癌症标记具有重要意义。本研究通过整合The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)的泛癌症基因组的高通量甲基化谱和基因表达谱,识别癌基因相关的DNA甲基化调控位点。对于每种癌症分批次计算Cp G位点甲基化与相关基因表达之间的相关性,并筛选调控下游基因的Cp G位点(包括强调控位点、弱调控位点和不调控位点),结果表明仅有一半的Cp G位点对下游基因具有调控作用;对癌症间共享的调控位点的分析发现不同癌症间共享的调控位点不尽相同,表明癌症特异的甲基化调控位点的存在。进一步地,对差异甲基化和差异表达基因的功能富集分析揭示了受甲基化调控的基因确实参与了癌症发生发展相关的功能。本研究的结果是对当前甲基化调控位点集的重要补充,也是识别癌症新型分子标记特征的重要资源。     

TERT对小鼠EL-4淋巴瘤细胞增殖调控的初步研究

为了研究端粒酶催化亚基TERT与细胞周期相关基因的调控关系及其在肿瘤细胞增殖中的调控作用,应用基因芯片及RT-PCR等技术,对靶向mTERT的RNA干涉后的小鼠EL-4淋巴瘤细胞进行细胞周期相关基因的表达谱分析,筛选到43个基因在TERT受抑制前后存在表达差异,并且全部为下调基因.表明在小鼠EL-4淋巴瘤细胞中内源性TERT的表达抑制,导致了调控G1期和S期进程的相关细胞周期相关基因的表达变化,并可能通过此途径影响肿瘤细胞的生长和增殖.     

钝裂银莲花主要色素成分及适应机制的研究

为确定调控花色深浅的主要色素成分及相关合成酶,本文以钝裂银莲花(Anemone obtusiloba)为材料,用紫外-可见光谱扫描法、高效液相色谱法和液质联用法(HPLC-MS)对不同花色花色素进行研究。结果显示:钝裂银莲花含类胡萝卜素和类黄酮两种色素,两者总吸光值均随花色深浅规律变化,但类黄酮随花色变浅吸光度变化更明显,通过HPLC-MS分析,确定了7种黄酮类化合物:木犀草素-3-7-O-葡萄糖苷、槲皮素-3-O-芸香糖苷、山奈酚-3-O-槐糖苷、杨梅黄素-3-O-鼠李糖、槲皮素-3-O-半乳糖苷、槲皮素-3-O-葡萄糖苷、槲皮素-3-O-鼠李糖苷。槲皮素的衍生物为引起花色差异的主要色素,催化其合成的类黄酮3’-羟化酶为关键酶。推测钝裂银莲花花色适应环境的机制是通过类黄酮3’-羟化酶来调控花色深浅。     

凋亡相关基因调控舌苔形成的分子机制

舌苔形成与舌背黏膜上皮细胞的增殖、分化和凋亡密切相关.凋亡相关基因是调控细胞增殖和凋亡的重要基因,不同舌苔中凋亡相关基因的表达规律是近年来舌苔研究的热点.本文综述了近年来的相关研究成果,并展望了新方法和技术在舌苔研究中的应用前景,以期推动凋亡相关基因调控舌苔形成的分子机制研究.     

Effects of physiological quercetin metabolites on interleukin-1β-induced inducible NOS expression

Cytokines released by inflammatory cells around the pancreatic islets are implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus. Specifically, interleukin-1β (IL-1β) is known to be involved in islet β-cell damage by activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB)-mediated inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) gene expression. Though most flavonoids are shown to have various beneficial effects, little is known about the anti-inflammatory effects of their metabolites. Therefore, we investigated the effects of quercetin and its metabolites quercetin 3'-sulfate, quercetin 3-glucuronide and isorhamnetin 3-glucuronide on IL-1β-stimulated iNOS gene expression in RINm5F β-cells. The nitrite level, iNOS protein and its mRNA expression levels and iNOS promoter activity were measured. In addition, IκBα protein phosphorylation, nuclear translocation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and NF-κB DNA binding activity were determined. Adenosine 5'-triphosphate disodium salt-induced insulin release was also measured. Quercetin significantly reduced IL-1β-induced nitrite production, iNOS protein and its mRNA expression levels, and it also inhibited IL-1β-induced IκBα phosphorylation, NF-κB activation and iNOS promoter activity. Additionally, quercetin significantly restored the inhibition of insulin secretion by IL-1β. Meanwhile, quercetin metabolites did not show any effect on IL-1β-induced iNOS gene expression and also on insulin secretion. Therefore, in terms of iNOS expression mechanism, dietary ingestion of quercetin is unlikely to show anti-inflammatory effects in rat islet β-cells exposed to IL-1β.     

Inhibition of nitric oxide synthase inhibitors and lipopolysaccharide induced inducible NOS and cyclooxygenase-2 gene expressions by rutin, quercetin, and quercetin pentaacetate in RAW 264.7 macrophages

Several natural flavonoids have been demonstrated to perform some beneficial biological activities, however, higher-effective concentrations and poor-absorptive efficacy in body of flavonoids blocked their practical applications. In the present study, we provided evidences to demonstrate that flavonoids rutin, quercetin, and its acetylated product quercetin pentaacetate were able to be used with nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitors (N-nitro-L-arginine (NLA) or N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME)) in treatment of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) productions, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) gene expressions in a mouse macrophage cell line (RAW 264.7). The results showed that rutin, quercetin, and quercetin pentaacetate-inhibited LPS-induced NO production in a concentration-dependent manner without obvious cytotoxic effect on cells by MTT assay using 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide as an indicator. Decrease of NO production by flavonoids was consistent with the inhibition on LPS-induced iNOS gene expression by western blotting. However, these compounds were unable to block iNOS enzyme activity by direct and indirect measurement on iNOS enzyme activity. Quercetin pentaacetate showed the obvious inhibition on LPS-induced PGE2 production and COX-2 gene expression and the inhibition was not result of suppression on COX-2 enzyme activity. Previous study demonstrated that decrease of NO production by L-arginine analogs effectively stimulated LPS-induced iNOS gene expression, and proposed that stimulatory effects on iNOS protein by NOS inhibitors might be harmful in treating sepsis. In this study, NLA or L-NAME treatment stimulated significantly on LPS-induced iNOS (but not COX-2) protein in RAW 264.7 cells which was inhibited by these three compounds. Quercetin pentaacetate, but not quercetin and rutin, showed the strong inhibitory activity on PGE2 production and COX-2 protein expression in NLA/LPS or L-NAME/LPS co-treated RAW 264.7 cells. These results indicated that combinatorial treatment of L-arginine analogs and flavonoid derivates, such as quercetin pentaacetate, effectively inhibited LPS-induced NO and PGE2 productions, at the same time, inhibited enhanced expressions of iNOS and COX-2 genes.     

Quercetin suppresses cyclooxygenase-2 expression and angiogenesis through inactivation of P300 signaling

Quercetin, a polyphenolic bioflavonoid, possesses multiple pharmacological actions including anti-inflammatory and antitumor properties. However, the precise action mechanisms of quercetin remain unclear. Here, we reported the regulatory actions of quercetin on cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), an important mediator in inflammation and tumor promotion, and revealed the underlying mechanisms. Quercetin significantly suppressed COX-2 mRNA and protein expression and prostaglandin (PG) E(2) production, as well as COX-2 promoter activation in breast cancer cells. Quercetin also significantly inhibited COX-2-mediated angiogenesis in human endothelial cells in a dose-dependent manner. The in vitro streptavidin-agarose pulldown assay and in vivo chromatin immunoprecipitation assay showed that quercetin considerably inhibited the binding of the transactivators CREB2, C-Jun, C/EBPβ and NF-κB and blocked the recruitment of the coactivator p300 to COX-2 promoter. Moreover, quercetin effectively inhibited p300 histone acetyltransferase (HAT) activity, thereby attenuating the p300-mediated acetylation of NF-κB. Treatment of cells with p300 HAT inhibitor roscovitine was as effective as quercetin at inhibiting p300 HAT activity. Addition of quercetin to roscovitine-treated cells did not change the roscovitine-induced inhibition of p300 HAT activity. Conversely, gene delivery of constitutively active p300 significantly reversed the quercetin-mediated inhibition of endogenous HAT activity. These results indicate that quercetin suppresses COX-2 expression by inhibiting the p300 signaling and blocking the binding of multiple transactivators to COX-2 promoter. Our findings therefore reveal a novel mechanism of action of quercetin and suggest a potential use for quercetin in the treatment of COX-2-mediated diseases such as breast cancers.     

Diesel emissions revisited: is the carcinogenicity due to a genotoxic mechanism?

The induction of recA, umuC and sfiA genes by quercetin was studied in the presence and in the absence of S9 mix. The inducing activity of quercetin is higher for sfiA than for recA and umuC genes in the absence of S9 mix. The putative genotoxic metabolites of quercetin produced by S9 mix display different inducing activities of the three SOS genes as compared to quercetin. The induction of sfiA gene is decreased by the presence of S9 mix, whereas an opposite effect was observed concerning umuC and recA. These data suggest that the error-prone repair pathway participates in mutagenesis by quercetin and its metabolites. Moreover, the type of DNA damage exerted by quercetin seems to be determined by its metabolic fate. The importance of testing for the induction of other SOS genes, together with sfiA, in the study of SOS functions as a genotoxic index is emphasized.     

Curcumin, quercetin, and tBHQ modulate glutathione levels in astrocytes and neurons: importance of the glutamate cysteine ligase modifier subunit

A decrease in GSH levels, the main redox regulator, can be observed in neurodegenerative diseases as well as in schizophrenia. In search for substances able to increase GSH, we evaluated the ability of curcumin (polyphenol), quercetin (flavonoid), and tert -butylhydroquinone (tBHQ) to up-regulate GSH-synthesizing enzymes. The gene expression, activity, and product levels of these enzymes were measured in cultured neurons and astrocytes. In astrocytes, all substances increased GSH levels and the activity of the rate-limiting synthesizing enzyme, glutamate cysteine ligase (GCL). In neurons, curcumin and to a lesser extent tBHQ increased GCL activity and GSH levels, while quercetin decreased GSH and led to cell death. In the two cell types, the gene that showed the greatest increase in its expression was the one coding for the modifier subunit of GCL (GCLM). The increase in mRNA levels of GCLM was 3 to 7-fold higher than that of the catalytic subunit. In astrocytes from GCLM-knock-out mice showing low GSH (−80%) and low GCL activity (−50%), none of the substances succeeded in increasing GSH synthesis. Our results indicate that GCLM is essential for the up-regulation of GCL activity induced by curcumin, quercetin and tBHQ.     

Suppression of the androgen receptor function by quercetin through protein–protein interactions of Sp1, c-Jun, and the androgen receptor in human prostate cancer cells

We have previously reported that the increase in c-Jun expression induced by quercetin inhibited androgen receptor (AR) transactivation, and Sp1 was involved in quercetin-mediated downregulation of AR activity. Transient transfection assays in this work revealed that co-expression of c-Jun quenched Sp1-induced production of luciferase activity driven by AR promoter or three copies of Sp1 binding elements in the AR promoter. Moreover, c-Jun repressed AR-mediated luciferase activity via androgen-response elements (AREs) of the hK2 gene, while this suppression could be restored partially by cotransfection of Sp1 expression plasmid. The physical associations of c-Jun, Sp1, and AR induced by quercetin were further demonstrated by co-immunoprecipitation experiments. In addition, quercetin-mediated repression of AR expression and activity was partially reversed by blocking of JNK signaling pathway. These results suggested that c-Jun might play an important role in the suppression of AR expression and activity in the presence of quercetin, and association of a c-Jun/Sp1/AR protein complex induced by quercetin represented a novel mechanism that was involved in down-regulation of the AR function in prostate cancer cells.     

Quercetin‐induced upregulation of human GCLC gene is mediated by cis‐regulatory element for early growth response protein‐1 (EGR1) in INS‐1 beta‐cells

The catalytic subunit of γ‐glutamylcysteine ligase (GCLC) catalyses the rate‐limiting step in the de novo synthesis of glutathione (GSH), which is involved in maintaining intracellular redox balance. GSH is especially important for antioxidant defense system since beta‐cells show intrinsically low expression of antioxidant enzymes. In the present study, we investigated the regulatory mechanisms by which quercetin, a flavonoid, induces the expression of the GCLC gene in rat pancreatic beta‐cell line INS‐1. Promoter study found that the proximal GC‐rich region (from ?90 to ?34) of the GCLC promoter contained the quercetin‐responsive cis‐element(s). The quercetin‐responsive region contains consensus DNA binding site for early growth response 1 (EGR1) at ‐67 (5′‐CGCCTCCGC‐3′) which overlaps with a putative Sp1 binding site. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay showed that an oligonucleotide containing the EGR1 site was bound to nuclear factors EGR1, Sp1, and Sp3. In the promoter analysis, mutation of EGR1 site significantly reduced the quercetin response, whereas mutation of Sp1 site decreased only the basal activity of the GCLC promoter. Additionally, the transient overexpression of EGR1 significantly increased basal activity of the GCLC promoter. Finally, we showed that quercetin potently induced both EGR1 mRNA and its protein levels without affecting the expression of Sp1 and Sp3 proteins. Therefore, we concluded that EGR1 was bound to GC‐rich region of the GCLC gene promoter, which was prerequisite for the transactivation of the GCLC gene by quercetin. J. Cell. Biochem. 108: 1346–1355, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Dietary polyphenols increase paraoxonase 1 gene expression by an aryl hydrocarbon receptor-dependent mechanism

Human paraoxonase 1 (PON-1) is a serum high-density lipoprotein-associated enzyme mainly secreted by the liver. It has endogenous and exogenous substrates and displays protective properties with respect to cardiovascular disease and organophosphate intoxication. In the HuH7 human hepatoma cell line, PON-1 activity and mRNA levels were increased by dietary polyphenolic compounds such as quercetin but also by toxic ligands of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) such as 3-methylcholanthrene (3-MC). However, the 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorobenzo(p)dioxin (TCDD) was a poor inducer. Transient and stable transfection assays indicated that these compounds increased the PON-1 gene promoter activity in an AhR-dependent manner, since their effect was inhibited by 7-keto-cholesterol and AhR-directed short interfering RNA. Deletions and mutations studies showed that a xenobiotic responsive element (XRE)-like sequence within the PON-1 promoter mediated the effect of 3-MC and quercetin. In contrast with consensus XREs from the cytochrome P450 1A1 gene, the PON-1 XRE-like element mediated preferentially the effect of quercetin compared to the results seen with TCDD. Furthermore, AhR binding to this element was preferentially activated by quercetin. These observations provide a molecular mechanism for the regulation of the cardioprotective enzyme PON-1 by polyphenols. They suggest also that AhR ligands may differentially regulate gene expression depending on the DNA target sequence.     

From GC-rich DNA binding to the repression of survivin gene for quercetin nickel (II) complex: implications for cancer therapy

The DNA binding and cleavage properties of quercetin nickel (II) complex have been studied, but little attention has been devoted to the relationship between antitumor activity of this complex and DNA-binding properties. In the present study, we report that quercetin nickel (II) complex showed significant cytotoxicity against three tumor cell lines (HepG2, SMMC7721 and A549). Hoechst33258 and AO/EB staining showed HepG2 cells underwent the typical morphologic changes of apoptosis characterized by nuclear shrinkage, chromatin condensation, or fragmentation after exposure to quercetin nickel (II) complex. We also demonstrate that the levels of survivin and bcl-2 protein expression in HepG2 cells decreased concurrently, and the levels of p53 protein increased significantly after treatment with quercetin nickel (II) complex by immunocytochemistry analysis. The relative activity of caspase-3 and caspase-9 increased significantly after treatment with the complex. Furthermore, fluorescence measurements and molecular modeling were performed to learn that the complex could be preferentially bound to DNA in GC region. These results imply that quercetin nickel (II) complex may intercalate into the GC-rich core promoter region of survivin, down-regulating survivin gene expression and promoting tumor cells apoptosis. So our results suggest that antitumor activity of quercetin nickel (II) complex might be related to its intercalation into DNA and DNA-binding selectivity, and that the complex may be a promising agent for cancer therapy.