基因敲除技术及其在研究线粒体动力学与胰岛素抵抗关系中的应用进展

线粒体动力学即线粒体融合和分裂保持动态平衡的过程,该过程由融合/分裂相关蛋白精确调控完成,对于线粒体代谢、质量和功能有着重要的生理意义,而这些蛋白发生异常可引发线粒体动力学失衡,进而引起线粒体功能障碍并引发各种疾病状态。文中围绕基因敲除技术,详细阐述了编码融合/分裂相关蛋白的基因敲除鼠在胰岛素抵抗研究工作中的作用及应用进展,以期为今后研究线粒体动力学失衡致胰岛素抵抗的信号转导机制奠定基础。     

Cell-Specific Detection of miR-375 Downregulation for Predicting the Prognosis of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma by miRNA In Situ Hybridization

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in the regulation of genes associated with cancer development and progression. By the more deeply characterization of miRNAs’ effect in cancer development, it requires a useful tool to investigate expression and distribution of a miRNA in cancer cells and tissues. To fulfill this application demand, we developed a miRNA in situ hybridization (MISH) approach using the 2′-Fluoro modified miRNA probe in combination with enzyme-labeled fluorescence (ELF) signal amplification approach. MISH was used to study expression of miR-375 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cell lines and tissues using a tissue microarray (TMA) containing 300 cases. The results showed that our MISH approach is a practical way to detect expression and distribution of a tested miRNA in both cultured cells and archive tissue sections. MISH results also showed that miR-375 was frequently downregulated in ESCCs, which was significantly associated with advanced clinical stage (p = 0.003) tumor metastasis (p = 0.04) and poor outcome (p = 0.04) of ESCC. Moreover, the accuracy of MISH results could be confirmed by QRT-PCR. Our results demonstrated that MISH is a useful and reliable tool to study miRNA expression in solid tumors. Downregulation of miR-375 can be used as a biomarker to predict the outcome of ESCC.     

C1q Protein Binds to the Apoptotic Nucleolus and Causes C1 Protease Degradation of Nucleolar Proteins

In infection, complement C1q recognizes pathogen-congregated antibodies and elicits complement activation. Among endogenous ligands, C1q binds to DNA and apoptotic cells, but whether C1q binds to nuclear DNA in apoptotic cells remains to be investigated. With UV irradiation-induced apoptosis, C1q initially bound to peripheral cellular regions in early apoptotic cells. By 6 h, binding concentrated in the nuclei to the nucleolus but not the chromatins. When nucleoli were isolated from non-apoptotic cells, C1q also bound to these structures. In vivo, C1q exists as the C1 complex (C1qC1r₂C1s₂), and C1q binding to ligands activates the C1r/C1s proteases. Incubation of nucleoli with C1 caused degradation of the nucleolar proteins nucleolin and nucleophosmin 1. This was inhibited by the C1 inhibitor. The nucleoli are abundant with autoantigens. C1q binding and C1r/C1s degradation of nucleolar antigens during cell apoptosis potentially reduces autoimmunity. These findings help us to understand why genetic C1q and C1r/C1s deficiencies cause systemic lupus erythematosus.     

猪CAPN1基因部分外显子及3′UTR区的SNPs检测

以野猪、民猪和大白猪为研究对象, 根据网上公布的序列设计了7对引物, 采用测序、PCR-SSCP和PCR-RFLP方法对CAPN1基因的部分外显子和3′UTR区进行了单核苷酸多态性检测和基因型分析, 探讨CAPN1基因多态性与瘦肉率和嫩度的关系。研究发现11个SNPs, 其中5个位于外显子, 4个位于内含子, 2个位于3′UTR区, 外显子中的突变有一处是错义突变, 导致了蛋白质多肽链第260位氨基酸发生了M/V的替代。群体遗传学分析表明, 在所检测的各多态位点上, 野猪、民猪、大白猪3个品种间不同基因型的分布都存在着极显著的差异(P<0.01), 而野猪和民猪之间各基因型的分布差异不显著(P>0.05), 民猪和大白猪之间各基因型的分布存在着极显著的差异(P<0.01)。结合品种特性分析表明, P4、P6引物和3′ UTR区HinfⅠ位点所检测的不同基因型和瘦肉率具有一定的相关性。     

Suppression of Grb2 expression improved hepatic steatosis, oxidative stress, and apoptosis induced by palmitic acid in vitro partly through insulin signaling alteration

In this study, we aimed to study the role of growth factor receptor-bound protein 2 (Grb2) in palmitic acid-induced steatosis and other “fatty liver” symptoms in vitro. HepG2 cells, with or without stably suppressed Grb2 expression, were incubated with palmitic acid for 24 h to induce typical clinical “fatty liver” features, including steatosis, impaired glucose metabolism, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. MTT and Oil Red O assays were applied to test cell viability and fat deposition, respectively. Glucose uptake assay was used to evaluate the glucose utilization of cells. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot were used to measure expressional changes of key markers of insulin signaling, lipid/glucose metabolism, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. After 24-h palmitic acid induction, increased fat accumulation, reduced glucose uptake, impaired insulin signaling, enhanced oxidative stress, and increased apoptosis were observed in HepG2 cells. Suppression of Grb2 in HepG2 significantly reduced fat accumulation, improved glucose metabolism, ameliorated oxidative stress, and restored the activity of insulin receptor substrate-1/Akt and MEK/ERK pathways. In addition, Grb2 deficiency attenuated hepatic apoptosis shown by reduced activation of caspase-3 and fluorescent staining. Modulation of Bcl-2 and Bak1 also contributed to reduced apoptosis. In conclusion, suppression of Grb2 expression in HepG2 cells improved hepatic steatosis, glucose metabolism, oxidative stress, and apoptosis induced by palmitic acid incubation partly though modulating the insulin signaling pathway.     

Colonic epithelium rejuvenation through YAP/TAZ

Stem cells are critical for normal tissue homeostasis and injury‐induced regeneration, but how wounding affects tissue regeneration at the cellular and molecular levels is not yet fully understood. A new study by Yui et al ( 2018 ) demonstrates that the extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling modulates intestinal stem cells in tissue repair and regeneration via activation of the Hippo pathway effectors YAP/TAZ.     

Self-protection of individual CD4+ T cells against R5 HIV-1 infection by the synthesis of anti-viral CCR5 ligands

It is well established that paracrine secretion of anti-viral CCR5 ligands by CD8+ and CD4+ T cells can block the infection of activated CD4+ T cells by R5 and dual-tropic isolates of HIV-1. By contrast, because CD4+ T cells can be infected by HIV-1 and at least some subsets secrete anti-viral CCR5 ligands, it is possible that these ligands protect against HIV-1 via autocrine as well as paracrine pathways. Here we use a model primary CD4+ T cell response in vitro to show that individual CD4+ T cells that secrete anti-viral CCR5 ligands are 'self-protected' against infection with R5 but not X4 strains of HIV-1. This protection is selective for CD4+ T cells that secrete anti-viral CCR5 ligands in that activated CD4+ T cells in the same cultures remain infectable with R5 HIV-1. These data are most consistent with an autocrine pathway of protection in this system and indicate a previously unappreciated selective pressure on the emergence of viral variants and CD4+ T cell phenotypes during HIV-1 infection.