The Axl-Regulating Tumor Suppressor miR-34a Is Increased in ccRCC but Does Not Correlate with Axl mRNA or Axl Protein Levels

Background

High expression of the receptor tyrosine kinase Axl is associated with poor prognosis in patients with Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC), the most common malignancy of the kidney. The miR-34a has been shown to directly regulate Axl in cancer cells. The miR-34a is a mediator of p53-dependent tumor suppression, and low expression of miR-34a has been associated with worse prognosis in several cancers. Our aim was to elucidate whether miR-34a or the other members of the miR-34 family (miR-34b/c) regulate Axl in RCC.

Methodology and Results

Using western blot, flow cytometry, and RT-qPCR, we showed that Axl mRNA and protein are downregulated in 786-O cells by miR-34a and miR-34c but not by miR-34b. A luciferase reporter assay demonstrated direct interaction between the Axl 3’ UTR and miR-34a and miR-34c. The levels of miR-34a/b/c were measured in tumor tissue in a cohort of 198 RCC patients, and the levels of miR-34a were found to be upregulated in clear cell RCC (ccRCC) tumors, but not associated with patient outcome. Neither of the miR-34 family members correlated with Axl mRNA, soluble Axl protein in serum, nor with immunohistochemistry of Axl in tumor tissue. In addition, we measured mRNA levels of a known miR-34a target, HNF4A, and found the HNF4A levels to be decreased in ccRCC tumors, but unexpectedly correlated positively rather than negatively with miR-34a.

Conclusions

Although miR-34a and miR-34c can regulate Axl expression in vitro, our data indicates that the miR-34 family members are not the primary regulators of Axl expression in RCC.     

Direct Observation of Alternating Octahedral and Prismatic Sodium Layers in O3‐Type Transition Metal Oxides

The oxygen stacking of O3‐type layered sodium transition metal oxides (O3‐NaTMO₂) changes dynamically upon topotactic Na extraction and reinsertion. While the phase transition from octahedral to prismatic Na coordination that occurs at intermediate desodiation by transition metal slab gliding is well understood, the structural evolution at high desodiation, crucial to achieve high reversible capacity, remains mostly uncharted. In this work, the phase transitions of O3‐type layered NaTMO₂ at high voltage are investigated by combining experimental and computational approaches. An OP2‐type phase that consists of alternating octahedral and prismatic Na layers is directly observed by in situ X‐ray diffraction and high‐resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy. The origin of this peculiar phase is explained by atomic interactions involving Jahn–Teller active Fe⁴⁺ and distortion tolerant Ti⁴⁺ that stabilize the local Na environment. The path‐dependent desodiation and resodiation pathways are also rationalized in this material through the different kinetics of the prismatic and octahedral layers, presenting a comprehensive picture about the structural stability of the layered materials upon Na intercalation.     

Exogenous lysophospholipids with large head groups perturb clathrin‐mediated endocytosis

In this study, we have investigated how clathrin‐dependent endocytosis is affected by exogenously added lysophospholipids (LPLs). Addition of LPLs with large head groups strongly inhibits transferrin (Tf) endocytosis in various cell lines, while LPLs with small head groups do not. Electron and total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (EM and TIRF) reveal that treatment with lysophosphatidylinositol (LPI) with the fatty acyl group C18:0 leads to reduced numbers of invaginated clathrin‐coated pits (CCPs) at the plasma membrane, fewer endocytic events per membrane area and increased lifetime of CCPs. Also, endocytosis of Tf becomes dependent on actin upon LPI treatment. Thus, our results demonstrate that one can regulate the kinetics and properties of clathrin‐dependent endocytosis by addition of LPLs in a head group size‐ and fatty acyl‐dependent manner. Furthermore, studies performed with optical tweezers show that less force is required to pull membrane tubules outwards from the plasma membrane when LPI is added to the cells. The results are in agreement with the notion that insertion of LPLs with large head groups creates a positive membrane curvature which might have a negative impact on events that require plasma membrane invagination, while it may facilitate membrane bending toward the cell exterior.      

Recent Progress and Perspective in Electrode Materials for K‐Ion Batteries

The development of rechargeable batteries using K ions as charge carriers has recently attracted considerable attention in the search for cost‐effective and large‐scale energy storage systems. In light of this trend, various materials for positive and negative electrodes are proposed and evaluated for application in K‐ion batteries. Here, a comprehensive review of ongoing materials research on nonaqueous K‐ion batteries is offered. Information on the status of new materials discovery and insights to help understand the K‐storage mechanisms are provided. In addition, strategies to enhance the electrochemical properties of K‐ion batteries and computational approaches to better understand their thermodynamic properties are included. Finally, K‐ion batteries are compared to competing Li and Na systems and pragmatic opportunities and future research directions are discussed.     

A First‐Principles and Experimental Investigation of Nickel Solubility into the P2 NaxCoO2 Sodium‐Ion Cathode

The difficulty in finding positive electrode materials for sodium‐ion (Na‐ion) batteries with a large specific energy has slowed down their commercialization. Layered transition metal (M) oxides Na_xMO₂ with a two‐layer oxygen stacking (P2, 0.6 ≤ x ≤ 0.75), are promising candidates. However, the high average metal oxidation state needed during synthesis means that P2 Na_xMO₂ cathodes often require the introduction of high‐valent cations (Mn⁴⁺, Ti⁴⁺, Sn⁵⁺, or Te⁶⁺), limiting the cathode's performance. Using a combination of first‐principles calculations and experiments, the feasibility of P2 cathodes containing only electrochemically active nickel and cobalt cations is investigated. It is found that P2 Na_xNi_yCo_1–yO₂ materials with x = 0.66, 0.75, and 0 ≤ y ≤ 0.33 are either thermodynamically stable or metastable yet close to the convex hull at typical P2 synthesis temperatures (≈1000 K). It is demonstrated that a novel P2 compound with y = 0.22 and both Ni^3+/4+ and Co^3+/4+ can be successfully synthesized. It is studied electrochemically and structurally, using in situ and ex situ X‐ray diffraction. It is demonstrated that the chemical space of P2 layered compounds is not fully explored yet and that ab initio phase diagrams allow the determination of new high‐specific energy positive electrodes to be targeted experimentally.     

Improved Cycling Performance of Li‐Excess Cation‐Disordered Cathode Materials upon Fluorine Substitution

The recent discovery of Li‐excess cation‐disordered rock salt cathodes has greatly enlarged the design space of Li‐ion cathode materials. Evidence of facile lattice fluorine substitution for oxygen has further provided an important strategy to enhance the cycling performance of this class of materials. Here, a group of Mn³⁺–Nb⁵⁺‐based cation‐disordered oxyfluorides, Li_1.2Mn³⁺_0.6+0.5xNb⁵⁺_0.2?0.5xO_2?xF_x (x = 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2) is investigated and it is found that fluorination improves capacity retention in a very significant way. Combining spectroscopic methods and ab initio calculations, it is demonstrated that the increased transition‐metal redox (Mn³⁺/Mn⁴⁺) capacity that can be accommodated upon fluorination reduces reliance on oxygen redox and leads to less oxygen loss, as evidenced by differential electrochemical mass spectroscopy measurements. Furthermore, it is found that fluorine substitution also decreases the Mn³⁺‐induced Jahn–Teller distortion, leading to an orbital rearrangement that further increases the contribution of Mn‐redox capacity to the overall capacity.