Association between microRNA-21, microRNA-150, and micro-RNA-451 expression and clinical outcome of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Background

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) occurs owing to the defective maturation, increased proliferation, and lack of differentiation of lymphoid cells. Evaluation of the expression levels of microRNAs (miRNAs) could help in the prognosis and improve the clinical outcome of ALL patients. Given the role of miR-21, miR-150, and miR-451 as oncogenes and tumor suppressors in lymphocytes, this study explored the relation between the expression levels of these miRNAs and the clinical outcomes of ALL patients.

Methods

cDNA synthesis and RT-PCR were performed for peripheral blood samples from 41 patients with ALL, as well as for U937 and Jurkat cell lines to examine the expression of miR-451, miR-150, and miR-21 after miRNA purification. We also performed an epidemiological analysis in which Mann–Whitney and Chi-square tests were used to investigate the relationship between the expression of miRNAs and other clinical and laboratory data. Binary logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds ratio in univariate and multivariate analyses for clinical outcomes.

Results

miR-21 and miR-150 expression was found to be decreased, while miR-451 expression showed no difference compared to the control group. There was a significant relationship between miR-451 expression and hemoglobin (Hb) levels, as well as between miR-150 expression and clinical outcomes of ALL patients.

Conclusion

Increased expression of miR-451 decreased the Hb levels; reduced expression of miR-150 was associated with increased relapse rate in patients. Age, increased WBC, and decreased Hb levels were associated with increased relapse rates in ALL patients. Therefore, miR-150 could be used as a biomarker to determine the clinical outcome of ALL patients.

     

A Meta-Analysis of the Prevalence of Toxoplasmosis in Livestock and Poultry Worldwide

EcoHealth - Toxoplasma gondii causes toxoplasmosis with a global prevalence in the world. A large proportion of human illness is most frequently associated with consuming raw and undercooked meat...     

Impact of Cre1, Cre8 and Cre3 genes on cereal cyst nematode resistance in wheat

The cereal cyst nematode (CCN; Heterodera avenae), a root disease of cereal crops, is a major economic constraint in many wheat (Triticum aestivum)-growing areas of the world. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of the Cre1, Cre8 and Cre3 genes on CCN resistance. A population of 92 doubled-haploid (DH) lines derived from a cross between wheat cvs. Frame and Silverstar as well as 1,851 wheat breeding lines were screened for CCN resistance at the Primary Industries Research Victoria (PIRVic). A second population of 9,470 wheat breeding lines was screened at the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI). Cre3 had the largest impact on reducing the number of female cysts, followed by Cre1 and Cre8. There was no significant difference in number of cysts between DH lines with or without the Cre8 marker, suggesting that the marker is not perfectly linked to Cre8. The estimated heritabilities were 0.32 in the DH population, 0.48 in the PIRVic data set and 0.32 in the SARDI data set, which confirm that this is a trait of low heritability. The repeatability of CCN resistance improved with an increase in the number of plants assessed per line—up to ten. However, 85–88% of the improvement was achieved with the assessments of the first five plants.     

Theoretical investigations of the hydrolysis pathway of verdoheme to biliverdin

Conversion of iron(II) verdoheme to iron biliverdin in the presence of OH(-) was investigated using B3LYP method. Both 3-21G and 6-31G* basis sets were employed for geometry optimization calculation as well as energy stabilization estimation. Calculation at 6-31G* level was found necessary for a correct spin state estimation of the iron complexes. Two possible pathways for the conversion of iron verdoheme to iron biliverdin were considered. In one path the iron was six-coordinate while in the other it was considered to be five-coordinate. In the six-coordinated pathway, the ground state of bis imidazole iron verdoheme is singlet while that for open chain iron biliverdin it is triplet state with 4.86 kcal/mol more stable than the singlet state. The potential energy surface suggests that a spin inversion take place during the course of reaction after TS. The ring opening process in the six-coordinated pathway is in overall -2.26 kcal/mol exothermic with a kinetic barrier of 9.76 kcal/mol. In the five-coordinated pathway the reactant and product are in the ground triplet state. In this path, hydroxyl ion attacks the iron center to produce a complex, which is only 1.59 kcal/mol more stable than when OH(-) directly attacks the macrocycle. The activation barrier for the conversion of iron hydroxy species to the iron biliverdin complex by a rebound mechanism is estimated to be 32.68 kcal/mol. Large barrier for rebound mechanism, small barrier of 4.18 kcal/mol for ring opening process of the hydroxylated macrocycle, and relatively same stabilities for complexes resulted by the attack of nucleophile to the iron and macrocycle indicate that five-coordinated pathway with direct attack of nucleophile to the 5-oxo position of macrocycle might be the path for the conversion of verdoheme to biliverdin.     

Calcium: A novel and efficient inducer of differentiation of adipose‐derived stem cells into neuron‐like cells

This study comparatively investigated the effectiveness of calcium and other well‐known inducers such as isobutylmethylxanthine (IBMX) and insulin in differentiating human adipose‐derived stem cells (ADSCs) into neuronal‐like cells. ADSCs were immunophenotyped and differentiated into neuron‐like cells with different combinations of calcium, IBMX, and insulin. Calcium mobilization across the membrane was determined. Differentiated cells were characterized by cell cycle profiling, staining of Nissl bodies, detecting the gene expression level of markers such as neuronal nuclear antigen (NeuN), microtubule associated protein 2 (MAP2), neuron‐specific enolase (NSE), doublecortin, synapsin I, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and myelin basic protein (MBP) by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) and protein level by the immunofluorescence technique. Treatment with Ca + IBMX + Ins induced neuronal appearance and projection of neurite‐like processes in the cells, accompanied with inhibition of proliferation and halt in the cell cycle. A significantly higher expression of MBP, GFAP, NeuN, NSE, synapsin 1, doublecortin, and MAP2 was detected in differentiated cells, confirming the advantages of Ca + IBMX + Ins to the other combinations of inducers. Here, we showed an efficient protocol for neuronal differentiation of ADSCs, and calcium fostered differentiation by augmenting the number of neuron‐like cells and instantaneous increase in the expression of neuronal markers.     

Enhancement of antioxidant enzymes activity and expression of CAT and PAL genes in hazel (Corylus avellana L.) cells in response to low-intensity ultrasound

Induction of antioxidant systems of hazel cells by low-energy ultrasound, the potential role of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) as a signaling molecule in regulation of activity of stress-related enzymes, and expression of catalase (CAT) and phenylalanine ammonialyase (PAL) genes were investigated. Suspension-cultured Corylus avellana L. cells were agitated by an ultrasonic device at 29 kHz with the power of 4 mW/cm², for 8–40 min. The activities of CAT, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) of treated cells increased by 4, 1.7 and 7 times of the control ones, respectively. Induction of increase in the expression of CAT gene started 24 h after the treatment with ultrasound. Significant increase also was observed in the expression of PAL gene, 6 h after exposure to ultrasound, which resulted in turn to increase of total contents of soluble phenolics, 24 h of the treatment. Exposure to ultrasound up to 20 min had no adverse effects on cell viability although it slightly increased the accumulation of H₂O₂. However, it is likely that this level of increased H₂O₂ was not deteriorative for hazel cells, but rather triggered antioxidant system and provided hazel cells a sustainable growth after ultrasound treatment.     

A barley mutant with improved salt tolerance through ion homeostasis and ROS scavenging under salt stress

To investigate key regulatory components and genes with great impact on salt tolerance, near isogenic or mutant lines with distinct salinity tolerance are suitable genetic materials to simplify and dissect the complex genes networks. In this study, we evaluated responses of a barley mutant genotype (73-M4-30), in comparison with its wild-type background (Zarjou) under salt stress. Although the root growth of both genotypes was significantly decreased by exposure to sodium chloride (NaCl), the effect was greater in the wild type. The chlorophyll content decreased under salt stress for the wild type, but no change occurred in the mutant. The mutant maintained the steady-state level of [K⁺] and significantly lower [Na⁺] concentrations in roots and higher [K⁺]/[Na⁺] ratio in shoots under salt conditions. The catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD) activity, and proline content were higher in the mutant than those in the wild type under controlled conditions. The soluble proline was higher after 24 h of salt stress in roots of the mutant but was higher after 96 h of salt stress in the wild type. The CAT and POD activity of the mutant increased under salt stress which was as a coincidence to lower levels of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents. The ratio of dry-to-fresh weight of the roots increased for the mutant under salt stress which was as a result of the higher phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) gene expression and peroxidase activity and involved in cell wall lignification. Consequently, it seems that ion homeostasis and increased peroxidase activity have led to salt tolerance in the mutant’s genotype.     

Effect of Anatase Nanoparticles (TiO2) on Parsley Seed Germination (Petroselinum crispum) In Vitro

Nano priming is a new method for the increase of seedling vigor and improvement of germination percentage and seedling growth. The experiments to evaluate the effect of different concentrations of nano-anatase on germination parameters of parsley as a completely randomized design with five replications were performed in a tissue culture laboratory of the Department of Horticulture, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz. In addition, nano-anatase at four concentrations (10, 20, 30, and 40 mg/ml) was added to the Murashige and Skoog medium. At the end of the experiment, the percentage of germination, germination rate index, root and shoot length, fresh weight of seedlings, vigor index, and chlorophyll content were evaluated. The results showed that an increase in the concentration of nano-anatase caused a significant increase in the percentage of germination, germination rate index, root and shoot length, fresh weight, vigor index, and chlorophyll content of seedlings. The best concentration of nano-anatase was 30 mg/ml.     

Yeast Cell Microcapsules as a Novel Carrier for Cholecalciferol Encapsulation: Development,Characterization and Release Properties

In this study Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cells was used as a novel vehicle for encapsulation of vitamin D₃. The effects of initial cholecalciferol concentration (100,000 and 500,000 IU/g yeast), yeast cell pretreatment (plasmolysis with NaCl) and drying method (spray or freeze drying) on microcapsules properties were investigated. It was found that the vitamin concentration and drying method had significant influence on encapsulation efficiency (EE) and size of yeast microcapsules. Furthermore, EE values were more increased by the plasmolysis treatment. The highest EE was obtained for plasmolysed and spray dried yeast cells prepared using initial cholecalciferol concentration of 2.5 mg per gram of yeast cells (76.10?±?6.92%). The values of mean particle size were 3.43–7.91 μm. The presence of cholecalciferol in yeast microcapsules was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) analyses. The in vitro cholecalciferol release from yeast microcapsules in phosphate buffer saline solution (PBS) followed a controlled release manner consistent with a Fickian diffusion mechanism. In addition, the release studies in simulated gastrointestinal tract showed sustained release of cholecalciferol in the stomach condition and significant release in intestinal medium.