Suppression of tumor angiogenesis by targeting the protein neddylation pathway

Inhibition of protein neddylation, particularly cullin neddylation, has emerged as a promising anticancer strategy, as evidenced by the antitumor activity in preclinical studies of the Nedd8-activating enzyme (NAE) inhibitor MLN4924. This small molecule can block the protein neddylation pathway and is now in clinical trials. We and others have previously shown that the antitumor activity of MLN4924 is mediated by its ability to induce apoptosis, autophagy and senescence in a cell context-dependent manner. However, whether MLN4924 has any effect on tumor angiogenesis remains unexplored. Here we report that MLN4924 inhibits angiogenesis in various in vitro and in vivo models, leading to the suppression of tumor growth and metastasis in highly malignant pancreatic cancer, indicating that blockage of angiogenesis is yet another mechanism contributing to its antitumor activity. At the molecular level, MLN4924 inhibits Cullin–RING E3 ligases (CRLs) by cullin deneddylation, causing accumulation of RhoA at an early stage to impair angiogenic activity of vascular endothelial cells and subsequently DNA damage response, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis due to accumulation of other tumor-suppressive substrates of CRLs. Furthermore, we showed that inactivation of CRLs, via small interfering RNA (siRNA) silencing of its essential subunit ROC1/RBX1, recapitulates the antiangiogenic effect of MLN4924. Taken together, our study demonstrates a previously unrecognized role of neddylation in the regulation of tumor angiogenesis using both pharmaceutical and genetic approaches, and provides proof of concept evidence for future development of neddylation inhibitors (such as MLN4924) as a novel class of antiangiogenic agents.     

Analysis of genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships among red jungle fowls and Chinese domestic fowls

Genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships among 568 individuals of two red jungle fowl subspe- cies (Gallus gallus spadiceus in China and Gallus gallus gallus in Thailand) and 14 Chinese domestic chicken breeds were evaluated with 29 microstaellite loci, the genetic variability within population and genetic differentiation among population were estimated, and then genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships were analyzed among red jungle fowls and Chinese domestic fowls. A total of 286 alleles were detected in 16 population with 29 microsatellite markers and the average number of the alleles observed in 29 microsatellite loci was 9.86±6.36. The overall expected heterozygosity of all population was 0.6708±0.0251, and the number of population deviated from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium per locus ranged from 0 to 7. In the whole population, the average of genetic differentiation among population, measured as FST value, was 16.7% (P<0.001), and all loci contributed significantly (P<0.001) to this differentiation. It can also be seen that the deficit of heterozygotes was very high (0.015) (P<0.01). Reynolds' distance values varied between 0.036 (Xiaoshan chicken-Luyuan chicken pair) and 0.330 (G. gallus gallus-Gushi chicken pair). The Nm value ranged from 0.533 (between G. gallus gallus and Gushi chicken) to 5.833 (between Xiaoshan chicken and Luyuan chicken). An unrooted consensus tree was constructed using the neighbour-joining method and the Reynolds' genetic distance. The heavy-body sized chicken breeds, Luyuan chicken, Xiaoshan chicken, Beijing Fatty chicken, Henan Game chicken, Huainan Partridge and Langshan chicken formed one branch, and it had a close genetic relationship between Xiaoshan chicken-Luyuan chicken pair and Chahua chicken-Tibetan chicken pair. Chahua chicken and Tibetan chicken had closer genetic relationship with these two subspecies of red jungle fowl than other domestic chicken breeds. G. gallus spadiceus showed closer phylogenetic relationship with Chinese domestic chicken breeds than G. gallus gallus. All 29 microstaellite loci in this study showed high levels of polymorphism and significant genetic differentiation was observed among two subspecies of red jungle fowl and 14 Chinese domestic chicken breeds. The evolutional dendrogram is as follows: evolutional breeds→primitive breeds (Chahua chicken and Tibetan)→red jungle fowl in China (G. gallus spadiceus)→red jungle fowl in Thailand (G. gallus gallus). The results supported the theory that the domestic fowls might originate from different subspecies of red jungle fowl and Chinese domestic fowls had independent origin.     

国产木兰科6属植物柱头表面形态比较

用扫描电镜对中国产木兰科单性木兰属、木兰属、木莲属、含笑属、拟单性木兰属和观光木属的42种植物柱头表面形态进行观察.结果表明,42种木兰科植物的柱头均为干柱头,包含单细胞乳突型和多细胞乳突型两类.单性木兰属和观光木属植物是单细胞乳突型;木莲属、含笑属和拟单性木兰属植物是多细胞乳突型;木兰属中木兰亚属植物两型均有,而玉兰亚属则均为多细胞乳突型.结合其他证据,本文支持单性木兰属、木莲属、含笑属、拟单性木兰属和观光木属的建立,并认为在系统学问题较复杂的木兰属中,玉兰亚属是一个相对独立的单系类群,将其独立成属也不无道理,而木兰亚属可能不是一个单系类群,还需要进一步的深入研究,积累更多的性状数据.     

Fibroblast Activation Protein Overexpression and Clinical Implications in Solid Tumors: A Meta-Analysis

Objective

Fibroblast activation protein (FAP) plays a vital role in tumor invasion and metastasis. Previous studies have reported its prognostic value in different tumors. However, the results of these reports remain controversial. In this study, a meta-analysis was performed to clarify this issue.

Methods

A search of the PubMed, Embase and CNKI databases was conducted to analyze relevant articles. The outcomes included the relations between FAP expression and histological differentiation, tumor invasion, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis and overall survival (OS). Sensitivity analysis by FAP expression in different cells and tumor types were further subjected to sensitivity analyses as subgroups. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and hazard ratios (HRs) were evaluated using the random-effects model.

Results

The global analysis included 15 studies concerning various solid tumors. For global analysis, FAP overexpression in tumor tissue displayed significant associations with poor OS and tumor progression (OS: HR = 2.18, P = 0.004; tumor invasion: OR = 4.48, P = 0.007; and lymph node metastasis: OR = 3.80, P = 0.004). The subgroup analyses yielded two notable results. First, the relation between FAP overexpression and poor OS and tumor lymph node metastasis was closer in the patients with FAP expression in tumor cells. Second, the pooled analyses of colorectal cancers or pancreatic cancers all indicated that FAP overexpression was associated with a detrimental OS (HR: 1.72, P = 0.009; HR: 3.18, P = 0.005, respectively). The magnitude of this effect was not statistically significant compared with that in patients with non-colorectal cancers or non-pancreatic cancers. These analyses did not display a statistically significant correlation between FAP expression and histological differentiation and distant metastasis in all of the groups.

Conclusions

FAP expression is associated with worse prognosis in solid tumors, and this association is particularly pronounced if FAP overexpression is found in the tumor cells rather than the stroma.     

响应面法优化普通小球藻混合营养培养基组成生产生物质

利用响应面法优化了混合营养培养普通小球藻生产生物质的培养基组成.首先采用Plackett-Burman设计对11个相关营养因素的效应进行了评价,并筛选出影响小球藻细胞生长的3个主要因素为KNO3、葡萄糖和NaC1;然后结合Box-Behnken设计建立了以小球藻浓度为响应值的二次回归方程模型,获得优化的培养基组成为KNO31.64g/L、葡萄糖45g/L、NaC1 1.57g/L;模型预测的最大浓度为5.28g/L,验证值为5.68g/L;验证结果表明,所建立模型预测精度较好,可用于优化小球藻的混养培养基组成.优化条件下混养小球藻细胞的蛋白质和色素含量较优化前降低,而可溶性糖和油脂含量提高,脂肪酸以棕榈酸和油酸为主;细胞组分分析结果显示,混养培养所得小球藻生物质具有作为生产微藻生物能源原料的潜力.     

微重力及模拟微重力对植物生长的影响

重力对地球上生物的生长、发育、代谢及繁殖等具有重要影响.植物细胞的重力敏感性已被众多研究所证明,在空间微重力环境或地面模拟微重力环境下,植物表现特殊的微重力反应.微重力或模拟微重力会对植物体生长产生一系列的影响.综述微重力及模拟微重力对植物生长的影响,并对近期这一领域的研究进行了概括.     

淀粉液化芽孢杆菌β1-1,3-1,4-葡聚糖酶基因的克隆及表达

为了比较不同的表达系统对β-1,3-1,4-葡聚糖酶基因(bgl)的效果,本研究将高产β-1,3-1,4-葡聚糖酶的淀粉液化芽孢杆菌Bacillus amyloliquefaciens BS5582的bgl基因(GenBank Accession No.EU623974)克隆到3种不同的质粒载体中,即构建pEGX-4T-1-bgl、pET20b(+)-bgl和pET28a(+)-bgl重组质粒.比较了pEGX-4T-1-bgl,在不同Escherichia coli宿主中表达效果,以及pET20b(+)-bgl和pET28a(+)-bgl在E coli BL21(DE3)中的表达效果.结果表明,E. coli BL21(DE3)-pET28a(+)-bgl能够表达最高的重组β-1,3-1,4-葡聚糖酶酶活,其总酶活可达(322.0±8.8)U/mL,是出发菌在最适摇瓶发酵条件下产酶活的40.1%.对该重组菌的产酶条件进行了分析,结合IPTG和乳糖协同的诱导作用,在基础产酶培养基中产最高总酶活为(1883.3±45.8)U/mL,表明其具有良好的工业应用价值.