鳖甲煎丸通过LncRNA-mRNA顺式调控抑制肝癌细胞

为了研究鳖甲煎丸抑制肝癌细胞过程中lncRNA表达谱的变化及lncRNA-mRNA顺式调控在其中的机制,本研究通过CCK8方法检测鳖甲煎丸作用于SMMC-7721细胞后的增殖活性变化,经全细胞转录组学分析lncRNA的表达和特征后构建LncRNA-mRNA顺式调控网络.结果表明鳖甲煎丸含药血清作用肝癌细胞株后其增殖活性受到抑制.全细胞转录组学分析找到差异表达的172个LncRNA.构建lncRNA-mRNA顺式调控网络,对调控基因进行生存分析发现,SCRN1、PLEKHA1、HNRNPM、TMEM107、ETNK1、ISG20L2的表达与肝细胞癌患者生存率显著负相关(P＜0.05).因此得出结论,LncRNA参与鳖甲煎丸抑制肝癌细胞增殖的过程,LncRNA-mRNA顺式调控是其分子机制之一.     

高血压的临床诊断、预防和治疗

高血压是动脉血压持续偏高的慢性疾病.长期高血压会导致众多的并发症,如冠状动脉疾病、中风、心脏衰竭、心房颤动、周边动脉阻塞、视力模糊、慢性肾脏病及痴呆症等病症.降低血压和致命并发症的风险在于改变生活方式与药物控制,体育锻炼、降低体重、适度摄取盐分、少喝酒及均衡饮食等,这些方式都有助于高血压的控制.本研究对积极预防、正确诊断和合理治疗高血压提供了系统的知识和建议.     

The ScCas9++ variant expands the CRISPR toolbox for genome editing in plants

The development of clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated protein (Cas) variants with a broader recognition scope is critical for further improvement of CRISPR/Cas systems. The original Cas9 protein from Streptococcus canis (ScCas9) can recognize simple NNG-protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) targets, and therefore possesses a broader range relative to current CRISPR/Cas systems, but its editing efficiency is low in plants. Evolved ScCas9⁺ and ScCas9⁺⁺ variants have been shown to possess higher editing efficiencies in human cells, but their activities in plants are currently unknown. Here, we utilized codon-optimized ScCas9, ScCas9⁺ and ScCas9⁺⁺ and a nickase variant ScCas9n⁺⁺ to systematically investigate genome cleavage activity and cytidine base editing efficiency in rice (Oryza sativa L.). This analysis revealed that ScCas9⁺⁺ has higher editing efficiency than ScCas9 and ScCas9⁺ in rice. Furthermore, we fused the evolved cytidine deaminase PmCDA1 with ScCas9n⁺⁺ to generate a new evoBE4max-type cytidine base editor, termed PevoCDA1-ScCas9n⁺⁺. This base editor achieved stable and efficient multiplex-site base editing at NNG-PAM sites with wider editing windows (C₋₁–C₁₇) and without target sequence context preference. Multiplex-site base editing of the rice genes OsWx (three targets) and OsEui1 (two targets) achieved simultaneous editing and produced new rice germplasm. Taken together, these results demonstrate that ScCas9⁺⁺ represents a crucial new tool for improving plant editing.     

Molecular mechanisms for the photoperiodic regulation of flowering in soybean

Photoperiodic flowering is one of the most important factors affecting regional adaptation and yield in soybean (Glycine max). Plant adaptation to long-day conditions at higher latitudes requires early flowering and a reduction or loss of photoperiod sensitivity; adaptation to short-day conditions at lower latitudes involves delayed flowering, which prolongs vegetative growth for maximum yield potential. Due to the influence of numerous major loci and quantitative trait loci (QTLs), soybean has broad adaptability across latitudes. Forward genetic approaches have uncovered the molecular basis for several of these major maturity genes and QTLs. Moreover, the molecular characterization of orthologs of Arabidopsis thaliana flowering genes has enriched our understanding of the photoperiodic flowering pathway in soybean. Building on early insights into the importance of the photoreceptor phytochrome A, several circadian clock components have been integrated into the genetic network controlling flowering in soybean: E1, a repressor of FLOWERING LOCUS T orthologs, plays a central role in this network. Here, we provide an overview of recent progress in elucidating photoperiodic flowering in soybean, how it contributes to our fundamental understanding of flowering time control, and how this information could be used for molecular design and breeding of high-yielding soybean cultivars.     

Three‐dimensional reconstruction and comparison of vacuolar membranes in response to viral infection

The vacuole is a unique plant organelle that plays an important role in maintaining cellular homeostasis under various environmental stress conditions. However, the effects of biotic stress on vacuole structure has not been examined using three‐dimensional (3D) visualization. Here, we performed 3D electron tomography to compare the ultrastructural changes in the vacuole during infection with different viruses. The 3D models revealed that vacuoles are remodeled in cells infected with cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) or tobacco necrosis virus A Chinese isolate (TNV‐A^C), resulting in the formation of spherules at the periphery of the vacuole. These spherules contain neck‐like channels that connect their interior with the cytosol. Confocal microscopy of CMV replication proteins 1a and 2a and TNV‐A^C auxiliary replication protein p23 showed that all of these proteins localize to the tonoplast. Electron microscopy revealed that the expression of these replication proteins alone is sufficient to induce spherule formation on the tonoplast, suggesting that these proteins play prominent roles in inducing vacuolar membrane remodeling. This is the first report of the 3D structures of viral replication factories built on the tonoplasts. These findings contribute to our understanding of vacuole biogenesis under normal conditions and during assembly of plant (+) RNA virus replication complexes.     

Leptin gene-targeted editing in ob/ob mouse adipose tissue based on the CRISPR/Cas9 system

Gene therapy has become the most effective treatment for monogenic diseases. Congenital LEPTIN deficiency is a rare autosomal recessive monogenic obesity syndrome caused by mutations in the Leptin gene. Ob/ob mouse is a monogenic obesity model, which carries a homozygous point mutation of C to T in Exon 2 of the Leptin gene. Here, we attempted to edit the mutated Leptin gene in ob/ob mice preadipocytes and inguinal adipose tissues using CRISPR/Cas9 to correct the C to T mutation and restore the production of LEPTIN protein by adipocytes. The edited preadipocytes exhibit a correction of 5.5% of Leptin alleles and produce normal LEPTIN protein when differentiated into mature adipocytes. The ob/ob mice display correction of 1.67% of Leptin alleles, which is sufficient to restore the production and physiological functions of LEPTIN protein, such as suppressing appetite and alleviating insulin resistance. Our study suggests CRISPR/Cas9-mediated in situ genome editing as a feasible therapeutic strategy for human monogenic diseases, and paves the way for further research on efficient delivery system in potential future clinical application.     

基于GEO数据库的肝癌相关基因的筛选及验证

肝细胞癌(hepatocellular carcinoma,HCC)是中国高发的恶性肿瘤之一,识别肝细胞癌发生发展相关基因,对于深入研究肝癌发病机制和开发诊疗靶点均具有重要意义.本研究利用GEO2R工具从基因表达汇编数据库(Gene Expression Omnibus Database,GEO)筛选5个数据集中共有的差异表达基因作为潜在的肝癌相关基因.利用Metascape网站,对差异表达基因进行功能富集及信号通路分析.结合GEPIA(Gene Expres-sion Profiling Interaction Analysis)网站筛选具有临床意义的基因.利用荧光定量PCR技术验证与肝癌预后相关的差异表达基因,候选肝癌相关基因,为后续的深入研究奠定扎实的基础.结果显示,从5个数据集中共发现94个共有的差异表达基因.文献检索后发现24个基因与肝癌发生发展的关系少见文献报道,属于肝癌中未知功能基因.利用GEPIA分析癌症基因组图谱(the cancer genome atlas,TCGA)中数据后发现,GINS1在肝癌组织中高表达,与肝癌患者生存期呈负相关;CFHR4和DNASE1L3在肝癌组织中显著低表达,与肝癌患者生存期呈正相关.荧光定量PCR技术证实GINS1在81.3％的肝癌组织中呈现高表达,CFHR4和DNAS-E1L3分别在71.9％和93.8％肝癌组织中低表达.因此,本研究发现GINS1、CFHR4和DNASE 1L3在肝癌组织中显著差异表达,与肝癌患者的预后密切相关,可能作为潜在的判断肝癌患者预后的分子标志物和研发肝癌治疗的潜在靶标.     

Transmission of synovial sarcoma from a single multi-organ donor to three transplant recipients: case report

Quick and reliable testing of EGFR and KRAS is needed in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to ensure optimal decision-making for targeted therapy. The Idylla™ platform was designed for Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) tissue sections but recently several studies were published that evaluated its potential for cytological specimens. This study aimed to validate the Idylla™ platform for the detection of EGFR/KRAS mutations in cytological NSCLC samples prepared as cytoblocks using AGAR and paraffin embedding. The KRAS Idylla™ test were performed on 11 specimens with a known KRAS mutation. The EGFR Idylla™ test was performed on 18 specimens with a known primary EGFR mutation and 7 specimens with a primary EGFR-EGFR T790M resistance mutation combination. Concordant KRAS and primary EGFR mutations were detected for both KRAS and primary EGFR mutations. Samples with a total CQ value of < 26 could be considered negative. Samples with a total CQ value of > 26 could not be assessed (probability of false-negative). In specimens with a primary EGFR-EGFR T790M resistance mutation combination, 5/7 cases were not concordant. Our results confirm the conclusion of recent reports that the Idylla™EGFR assay is not suitable in a resistance to EGFR TKI setting, also not in our cytological NSCLC samples prepared as cytoblocks using AGAR and paraffin embedding. KRAS and primary EGFR mutations were detected using the Idylla™ assays in virtually all cytological NSCLC samples. This analysis was rapid and time-saving compared to other mutation detection assays and may be useful if the amount of material is insufficient to perform a full set of molecular tests.