UBE3A activates the NOTCH pathway and promotes esophageal cancer progression by degradation of ZNF185

Background: Esophageal cancer is the sixth-most common fatal malignant tumor worldwide. Little is known regarding the genetic drivers that influence targeted therapy outcomes in patients with esophageal cancer. Exploring the pathogenesis of this lethal tumor could provide clues for developing appropriate therapeutic drugs. Ubiquitin-protein ligase E3A (UBE3A) reportedly promotes or suppresses various types of malignant tumors. However, the cancer-related role of UBE3A in esophageal cancer remains unclear.Methods: The relationship of UBE3A with the clinicopathological features of pancreatic tumors was bioinformatically investigated in the TCGA dataset. The protein levels of UBE3A and ZNF185 were assessed by Western blot and immunohistochemistry. The role of UBE3A and ZNF185 in esophageal cancer growth was assessed by MTS assays, colony formation assays, and experiments in mouse xenograft models. The interaction between UBE3A and ZNF185 was investigated by co-immunoprecipitation. The relationship between UBE3A, ZNF185, and NOTCH signaling pathway was explored by Western blot and quantitative real-time PCR.Results: We found that UBE3A was upregulated in patients with esophageal cancer and enhanced the cellular progression of esophageal cancer. Moreover, we found that UBE3A degraded ZNF185 in esophageal cancer. Additionally, ZNF185 suppressed the progression of esophageal cancer by inactivating the NOTCH pathway.Conclusions: These data demonstrated that aberrant expression of UBE3A led to enhanced progression of esophageal cancer through the ZNF185/NOTCH signaling axis. Therefore, UBE3A might be an ideal therapeutic candidate for esophageal cancer.     

Genetics of osteoporosis: accelerating pace in gene identification and validation

Osteoporosis is characterized by low bone mineral density and structural deterioration of bone tissue, leading to an increased risk of fractures. It is the most common metabolic bone disorder worldwide, affecting one in three women and one in eight men over the age of 50. In the past 15 years, a large number of genes have been reported as being associated with osteoporosis. However, only in the past 4 years we have witnessed an accelerated pace in identifying and validating osteoporosis susceptibility loci. This increase in pace is mostly due to large-scale association studies, meta-analyses, and genome-wide association studies of both single nucleotide polymorphisms and copy number variations. A comprehensive review of these developments revealed that, to date, at least 15 genes (VDR, ESR1, ESR2, LRP5, LRP4, SOST, GRP177, OPG, RANK, RANKL, COLIA1, SPP1, ITGA1, SP7, and SOX6) can be reasonably assigned as confirmed osteoporosis susceptibility genes, whereas, another >30 genes are promising candidate genes. Notably, confirmed and promising genes are clustered in three biological pathways, the estrogen endocrine pathway, the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, and the RANKL/RANK/OPG pathway. New biological pathways will certainly emerge when more osteoporosis genes are identified and validated. These genetic findings may provide new routes toward improved therapeutic and preventive interventions of this complex disease.     

LPA induces osteoblast differentiation through interplay of two receptors: LPA1 and LPA4

The bioactive phospholipid, lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), acting through at least five distinct receptors LPA1–LPA5, plays important roles in numerous biological processes. Here we report that LPA induces osteoblastic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells hMSC‐TERT. We find that hMSC‐TERT mostly express two LPA receptors, LPA1 and LPA4, and undergo osteoblastic differentiation in serum‐containing medium. Inhibition of LPA1 with Ki16425 completely abrogates osteogenesis, indicating that this process is mediated by LPA in the serum through activation of LPA1. In contrast to LPA1, down‐regulation of LPA4 expression with shRNA significantly increases osteogenesis, suggesting that this receptor normally exerts negative effects on differentiation. Mechanistically, we find that in hMSC‐TERT, LPA induces a rise in both cAMP and Ca²⁺. The rise in Ca²⁺ is completely abolished by Ki16425, whereas LPA‐mediated cAMP increase is not sensitive to Ki16425. To test if LPA signaling pathways controlling osteogenesis in vitro translate into animal physiology, we evaluated the bones of LPA4‐deficient mice. Consistent with the ability of LPA4 to inhibit osteoblastic differentiation of stem cells, LPA4‐deficient mice have increased trabecular bone volume, number, and thickness. J. Cell. Biochem. 109: 794–800, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Distribution and interspecific correlation of root biomass density in an arid Elaeagnus angustifolia–Achnatherum splendens community

Main objective of this study was to determine the interspecific relationships between two dominant species in terms of root distribution in a typical arid tree-herbage (Elaeagnus angustifolia–Achnatherum splendens) community at Xidatan, Pingluo County, Ningxia Autonomous Region, Northwest China. Eight concentric zones (namely, Z1–Z8) were set from the bases of E. angustifolia individuals to the open lands and five soil profiles were excavated in each zone. Each soil profile was divided into five layers at the depths of 0–10 cm, 10–30 cm, 30–60 cm, 60–100 cm and 100–150 cm. Roots were collected for each species, and soil water content (SWC) and soil bulk density (SBD) were measured for each layer. We found noteworthy roots layer separation in the sub-canopy zones (Z1–Z4). The soil layers with highest fine root biomass density (FRBD) of A. splendens was primarily in the 0–10 cm, which were significantly shallower than those of E. angustifolia; whereas in the inter-canopy zones (Z5–Z8), inconsistent separation, or even overlapping of highest-FRBD-layers emerged between the two dominant species. Correlation analyses showed that negative correlations of FRBD between the two species mainly occurred in those soil layers with relatively higher FRBD and lower SWC. In contrast, positive correlations corresponded with relatively lower FRBD and higher SWC.     

差异蛋白质组学在家蚕中的研究进展

差异蛋白质组是蛋白质组学的一个重要分支,通过对蛋白质组表达谱的比较,揭示细胞生理或病理状态的进程与本质,发现具有关键作用的蛋白。近年来,家蚕差异蛋白质组学发展迅速且涉及面广,已然成为家蚕蛋白质组学研究的热点。对差异蛋白质组学的主要研究方法,及在家蚕中的研究进展做一简要评述。     

Development of HBsAg-Binding Aptamers that bind HepG2.2.15 cells via HBV surface antigen

Hepatitis B virus surface antigen(HBsAg),a specific antigen on the membrane of Hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected cells,provides a perfect target for therapeutic drugs.The development of reagents with high affinity and specificity to the HBsAg is of great significance to the early-stage diagnosis and treatment of HBV infection.Herein,we report the selection of RNA aptamers that can specifically bind to HBsAg protein and HBsAg-positive hepatocytes.One high affinity aptamer,HBs-A22,was isolated from an initial ...     

Cyanovirin-N蓝藻的筛选及其分子鉴定

目的:从实验室培养的自牛蓝藻中筛选出含有能编码抗病毒蛋白(cyanovirin-N,CV-N)基因的藻株并对其进行分子鉴定.方法:应用PCR技术和自行设计的特异性引物从80株蓝藻中筛选目标藻株,通过克隆、测序后,进行blast比对,经在线生物信息学软件预测该抗病毒蛋白CV-N的一级,二级,三级结构,并推测该基因序列编码的蛋白的抗病毒潜能.结果:筛选出藻株RZHA4.其所含的CV-N基因与已报道的CV-N基因有97%的相似性.结论:经16S rRNA-PCR和序列分析,该藻株与蓝藻Nostocaceae有99%的相似性,为一在实验室常规培养条件下生长良好的念珠藻(Nostoc),有可能成为新的CV-N生产藻株.     

药用植物佛甲草愈伤组织的诱导和培养

目的：佛甲草（Sedum lineare Thunb）是景天科植物中具有多种药用功能的植物,其肉质多浆的特点是愈伤组织成功诱导和培养的瓶颈。方法：以佛甲草的叶和茎为外植体,用正交试验对培养基中的激素浓度（2,4-D、6-BA和Kt）进行配置,在配置的18种培养基中筛选到适合佛甲草叶和茎愈伤组织诱导和继代的培养基配方。结果：MS＋3%蔗糖＋2,4-D2＋Kt1和MS＋3%蔗糖＋2,4-D2＋6-BA1培养基对茎和叶愈伤组织的诱导率分别达到70%和80%左右,而MS＋3%蔗糖＋2,4-D2＋6-BA1更有利于佛甲草愈伤组织的继代培养。结论：在愈伤组织培养中,佛甲草的茎和叶都可以作为优良的外植体进行愈伤组织的诱导和培养。实验结果为进一步通过组织培养手段提高佛甲草的药效成分提供了有益参考。     

芽胞气溶胶表面滞留抗力预测模型研究

针对生物威胁的现场处置工作,建立气溶胶芽胞表面滞留抗力的智能预测模型,以准确预测环境表面芽胞污染状况,为大规模的现场洗消任务提供重要依据,有利于实现及时反应、恰当反应和准确防护的目标。以枯草杆菌芽胞为试验菌,在气溶胶实验室进行芽胞的环境因素暴露及活力测定,以模拟环境中芽胞抗力变化规律数据为依据,采用Matlab6.1软件包中的神经网络工具箱进行抗力预测模型研究。根据研究目的、模拟环境条件和数据训练的平滑曲线等特征,设定了5个输入神经元,8个隐层节点和1个输出神经元。‘tansig’、‘purelin’为传递函数,trainlm为训练函数,网络迭代100次。模型回顾预测效率达到100%,前瞻预测效率达到91%。以实验室数据为依据,利用Matlab平台中的BP神经网络建立的芽胞气溶胶表面滞留抗力预测模型能利用环境因素信息有效预测芽胞抗力。     

抗轮状病毒鸡卵黄免疫球蛋白耐酸碱性的研究

在pH2～12不同酸碱度环境中37℃保温0.5、1.0、2.0、3.0、4.0h后对抗轮状病毒鸡卵黄免疫球蛋白(IgY)的中和效价、分子结构变化及其耐酸耐碱性进行了测定。结果显示,在pH2～9范围内,37℃保温至4h,抗轮状病毒IgY的中和效价无明显变化,SDS-PAGE非还原性电泳图中未出现降解带;pH≥10时,37℃保温至1h,中和抗体效价即开始下降,电泳图中出现降解带,pH达11、12时处理1h以上样品则全部降解,生物活性丢失。提示抗轮状病毒IgY的耐酸性较耐碱性强,能耐受正常人体消化道内酸碱度。为制备成口服制剂提供试验依据。