Large-scale genome-wide association study of Asian population reveals genetic factors in FRMD4A and other loci influencing smoking initiation and nicotine dependence

Diseases related to smoking are the second leading cause of death in the world. Cigarette smoking is a risk factor for several diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular and respiratory disorders. Despite increasing evidence of genetic determination, the susceptibility genes and loci underlying various aspects of smoking behavior are largely unknown. Moreover, almost all reported genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have been performed on samples of European origin, limiting the applicability of the results to other ethnic populations. In this first GWAS on smoking behavior in an Asian population, after analyzing 8,842 DNA samples from the Korea Association Resource project with 352,228 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) genotyped for each sample, we identified 8 SNPs significantly associated with smoking initiation (SI) and 4 with nicotine dependence (ND). Because of the current unavailability of an independent Asian smoking sample, we replicated the discoveries in independent samples of European-American and African-American origin. Of the 12 SNPs examined in the replicated samples, we identified two SNPs, in the regulator of G-protein signaling 17 gene (rs7747583, p value(meta)?=?6.40?×?10(-6); rs2349433, p value(meta)?=?5.57?×?10(-6)), associated with SI. Also, we found two SNPs significantly associated with ND; one in the FERM domain containing 4A (rs4424567, p value(meta)?=?2.30?×?10(-6)) and the other at 7q31.1 (rs848353, p value(meta)?=?9.16?×?10(-8)). These SNPs represent novel targets for examination of smoking behavior and warrant further investigation using independent samples.     

Polyamines inhibit the assembly of stress granules in normal intestinal epithelial cells regulating apoptosis

Polyamines regulate multiple signaling pathways and are implicated in many aspects of cellular functions, but the exact molecular processes governed by polyamines remain largely unknown. In response to environmental stress, repression of translation is associated with the assembly of stress granules (SGs) that contain a fraction of arrested mRNAs and are thought to function as mRNA storage. Here we show that polyamines modulate the assembly of SGs in normal intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) and that induced SGs following polyamine depletion are implicated in the protection of IECs against apoptosis. Increasing the levels of cellular polyamines by ectopic overexpression of the ornithine decarboxylase gene decreased cytoplasmic levels of SG-signature constituent proteins eukaryotic initiation factor 3b and T-cell intracellular antigen-1 (TIA-1)-related protein and repressed the assembly of SGs induced by exposure to arsenite-induced oxidative stress. In contrast, depletion of cellular polyamines by inhibiting ornithine decarboxylase with α-difluoromethylornithine increased cytoplasmic eukaryotic initiation factor 3b and TIA-1 related protein abundance and enhanced arsenite-induced SG assembly. Polyamine-deficient cells also exhibited an increase in resistance to tumor necrosis factor-α/cycloheximide-induced apoptosis, which was prevented by inhibiting SG formation with silencing SG resident proteins Sort1 and TIA-1. These results indicate that the elevation of cellular polyamines represses the assembly of SGs in normal IECs and that increased SGs in polyamine-deficient cells are crucial for increased resistance to apoptosis.     

Oxidative Modification of Cysteine 111 Promotes Disulfide Bond-Independent Aggregation of SOD1

Converging evidence indicates that SOD1 aggregation is a common feature of mutant SOD1-linked fALS, and seems to be directly related to the gain-of-function toxic property. However, the mechanism inducing the aggregation is not understood. To study the contribution of oxidative modification of cysteine residues in SOD1 aggregation, we systematically examined the redox state of SOD1 cysteine residues in the G37R transgenic mouse model at different stages of the disease and under oxidative stress induced by H₂O₂. Our data suggest that under normal circumstance, cysteine 111 residue in SOD1 is free; however, under oxidative stress, it is prone to oxidative modification by providing the thiolate anion (S−). With the progression of the disease, increased levels of oxidative insults facilitated the oxidation of thiol groups of cysteine residues; human mutant SOD1 could generate an upper shift band in reducing SDS-PAGE, which turned out to be a Cys111-peroxidized SOD1 species. We also detected the formation of SOD1 multimers at different stages of the disease, and found that accumulated oxidative stress facilitated the formation of aggregates, which were not mediated by disulfide bond. This oxidative modification of cysteine 111 therefore promotes the formation of disulfide bond-independent aggregation of SOD1.     

NR2B-Containing NMDA Receptors Expression and Their Relationship to Apoptosis in Hippocampus of Alzheimer’s Disease-Like Rats

Although studies have shown that excitotoxicity mediated by N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs, NR) plays a prominent role in Alzheimer's disease (AD), the precise expression patterns of NMDARs and their relationship to apoptosis in AD have not been clearly established. In this study, we used Abeta (Aβ) 1-40 and AlCl(3) to establish AD rat model. The behavioral changes were detected by morris water maze and step-down test. The hippocampal amyloid deposition and pathological changes were determined by congo red and hematoxylin-eosin staining. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect expression of NR1, NR2A and NR2B, and TUNEL staining was used to detect apoptosis. Results showed that water maze testing escape latency of AD-like rats was prolonged significantly. Reaction time, basal number of errors, and number of errors of step-down test were increased significantly; latency period of step-down test was shortened significantly in AD-like rats. Amyloid substance deposition and obvious damage changes could be seen in hippocampus of AD-like rats. These results suggested that AD rat model could be successfully established by Aβ1-40 and AlCl(3). Results also showed that expression of NR1 and NR2B were significantly increased, but expression of NR2A had no significant change, in AD-like rat hippocampus. Meanwhile, apoptotic cells were significantly increased in AD-like rat hippocampus, especially in CA1 subfield and followed by dentate gyrus and CA3 subfield. These results implied that NR2B-, not NR2A-, containing NMDARs showed pathological high expression in AD-like rat hippocampus. This pathological high expression with apoptosis and selective vulnerability of hippocampus might be exist a specific relationship.     

The interaction between viral protein and host actin facilitates the virus infection to host

Although the virus-host interaction has attracted extensive studies, the host proteins essential for virus infection remain largely unknown. To address this issue, the shrimp Penaeus stylirostris densovirus (PstDNV), belonging to the family Parvoviridae, was characterized. PstDNV, a single-stranded DNA virus with a 3.9-kb genome, encoded only three open reading frames (ORFs). Among the three viral proteins, the PstDNV ORF2-encoded protein was discovered to interact with the shrimp actin, suggesting that the host actin played a very important role in virus infection. The RNAi assays revealed that the ORF2-encoded protein was required for the PstDNV infection. The confocal evidence demonstrated that the interaction between the ORF2-encoded protein and actin was essential for the virus infection. Therefore our study indicated that the manipulation of the host actin cytoskeleton was a necessary strategy for viral pathogens to invade host cells.     

A New Biosensor for Chiral Recognition Using Goat and Rabbit Serum Albumin Self‐Assembled Quartz Crystal Microbalance

Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) biosensor was used for the chiral recognition of five pairs of enantiomers by using goat serum albumin (GSA) and rabbit serum albumin (RbSA) as chiral selectors. Serum albumin (SA) was immobilized on the QCM through the self‐assembled monolayer technique, and the surface concentration of GSA and RbSA were 8.8 × 10^?12 mol cm^?2 and 1.2 × 10^?11 mol cm^?2, respectively. The QCM biosensors showed excellent sensitivity and selectivity. Meanwhile, the chiral recognition of SA sensors was quite species dependent. There were differences between GSA and RbSA sensors in the ability and the preference of chiral recognition. To R,S‐1,2,3,4‐tetrahydro‐1‐naphthylamine (R,S‐1‐TNA), R,S‐1‐(4‐methoxyphenyl)ethylamine (R,S‐4‐MPEA), and R,S‐1‐(3‐methoxyphenyl)ethylamine (R,S‐3‐MPEA), the preference of the stereoselective SA‐drug binding of the two kinds of SA sensors were consistent. However, to R,S‐2‐octanol (R, S‐2‐OT) and R,S‐methyl lactate (R,S‐MEL), the two kinds of SA sensors had opposite chiral recognition preference. Moreover, the interactions of SA and the five pairs of enantiomers have been further investigated through ultraviolet (UV) and fluorescent (FL) spectra. The UV/FL results were in accordance with the consequence of QCM. Chirality 24:804–809, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Proteome analysis of Physcomitrella patens exposed to progressive dehydration and rehydration

Physcomitrella patens is an extremely dehydration-tolerant moss. However, the molecular basis of its responses to loss of cellular water remains unclear. A comprehensive proteomic analysis of dehydration- and rehydration-responsive proteins has been conducted using quantitative two-dimensional difference in-gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE), and traditional 2-D gel electrophoresis (2-DE) combined with MALDI TOF/TOF MS. Of the 216 differentially-expressed protein spots, 112 and 104 were dehydration- and rehydration-responsive proteins, respectively. The functional categories of the most differentially-expressed proteins were seed maturation, defence, protein synthesis and quality control, and energy production. Strikingly, most of the late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins were expressed at a basal level under control conditions and their synthesis was strongly enhanced by dehydration, a pattern that was confirmed by RT-PCR. Actinoporins, phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein, arabinogalactan protein, and phospholipase are the likely dominant players in the defence system. In addition, 24 proteins of unknown function were identified as novel dehydration- or rehydration-responsive proteins. Our data indicate that Physcomitrella adopts a rapid protein response mechanism to cope with dehydration in its leafy-shoot and basal expression levels of desiccation-tolerant proteins are rapidly upgraded at high levels under stress. This mechanism appears similar to that seen in angiosperm seeds.     

A Role for Transcription Factor STAT3 Signaling in Oncogene Smoothened-driven Carcinogenesis

Activation of the Hedgehog (Hh) pathway is known to drive development of basal cell carcinoma and medulloblastomas and to associate with many other types of cancer, but the exact molecular mechanisms underlying the carcinogenesis process remain elusive. We discovered that skin tumors derived from epidermal expression of oncogenic Smo, SmoM2, have elevated levels of IL-11, IL-11Rα, and STAT3 phosphorylation at Tyr⁷⁰⁵. The relevance of our data to human conditions was reflected by the fact that all human basal cell carcinomas examined have detectable STAT3 phosphorylation, mostly in keratinocytes. The functional relevance of STAT3 in Smo-mediated carcinogenesis was revealed by epidermal specific knockout of STAT3. We showed that removal of STAT3 from mouse epidermis dramatically reduced SmoM2-mediated cell proliferation, leading to a significant decrease in epidermal thickness and tumor development. We also observed a significant reduction of epidermal stem/progenitor cell population and cyclin D1 expression in mice with epidermis-specific knockout of STAT3. Our evidence indicates that STAT3 signaling activation may be mediated by the IL-11/IL-11Rα signaling axis. We showed that tumor development was reduced after induced expression of SmoM2 in IL-11Rα null mice. Similarly, neutralizing antibodies for IL-11 reduced the tumor size. In two Hh-responsive cell lines, ES14 and C3H10T1/2, we found that addition of Smo agonist purmorphamine is sufficient to induce STAT3 phosphorylation at Tyr⁷⁰⁵, but this effect was abolished after IL-11Rα down-regulation by shRNAs. Taken together, our results support an important role of the IL-11Rα/STAT3 signaling axis for Hh signaling-mediated signaling and carcinogenesis.