Interaction between active Pak1 and Raf-1 is necessary for phosphorylation and activation of Raf-1.

Activation of Raf-1 is a complex process in which phosphorylation of Ser(338)-Tyr(341) is a critical step. Previous studies have shown that Pak1/2 is implicated in both Ras-dependent and -independent activation of Raf-1 by phosphorylating Raf Ser(338). The present study explores the structural basis of Raf-1 phosphorylation by Pak1. We found that Pak directly associates with Raf-1 under both physiological and overexpressed conditions. The association is greatly stimulated by 4beta-12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate and nocodazole and by expression of the active mutants of Rac and Ras. The active forms of Pak generated by mutation of Thr(423) to Glu or truncation of the amino-terminal moiety exhibit a greater binding to Raf than the wild type, whereas the kinase-dead mutant Pak barely binds Raf. The extent of binding to Raf-1 is correlated with the ability of Pak to phosphorylate Raf and induce mitogen-activated protein kinase activation. Furthermore, the Raf-1 binding site is defined to the carboxyl terminus of the Pak catalytic domain. In addition, our results suggest that the amino-terminal regulatory region of Raf inhibits the interaction. Taken together, the results indicate that the interaction depends on the active conformations of Pak and Raf. They also argue that Pak1 is a physiological candidate for phosphorylation of Raf Ser(338) during the course of Raf activation.     

miR-106a-5p调控 PTEN对鼻咽癌细胞SUNE2增殖和迁移的抑制作用研究

目的研究miR-106a-5p对鼻咽癌细胞SUNE2增殖和迁移的影响。 方法将体外培养的鼻咽癌细胞SUNE2分成对照组（细胞未做任何处理）、Anti-NC组（转染阴性对照抑制剂）、Anti-miR-106a-5p组（转染miR-106a-5p抑制剂）、后期实验另设Anti-miR-106a-5p-inhibitor+si-NC组（转染miR-106a-5p抑制剂、siRNA阴性对照）、Anti-miR-106a-5p-inhibitor+si-PTEN组（转染miR-106a-5p抑制剂、PTEN siRNA）,采用Realtime PCR测定miR-106a-5p表达,MTT法检测增殖,Transwell小室检测细胞侵袭和迁移能力变化,用Western blot方法测定vimentin、E-cadherin蛋白表达。在线靶基因预测软件预测miR-106a-5p的靶基因可能为PTEN,双荧光素酶报告系统鉴定miR-106a-5p和PTEN的靶向关系。两组间比较用独立样本t检验,多组间比较采用单因素方差分析,组间两两比较采用LSD-t检验。 结果与正常鼻咽上皮细胞NP69比较,鼻咽癌细胞CNE-2、HK1、SUNE2中miR-106a-5p水平（1.00±0.11比1.84±0.13、2.19±0.14、2.87±0.25）升高,差异具有统计学意义（P < 0.05）。与对照组、Anti-NC组比较,Anti-miR-106a-5p组鼻咽癌细胞miR-106a-5p水平（1.00±0.10、0.99±0.12比0.76±0.08）降低,OD值（0.56±0.05、0.57±0.04比0.32±0.02）,细胞侵袭数[（128.47±11.65）个、（129.84±10.93）个比（85.12±6.75）个],迁移数[（182.51±14.81）个、（180.68±17.64）个比（122.01±11.62）个],vimentin蛋白表达水平（0.84±0.09、0.82±0.07比0.30±0.05）降低,E-cadherin蛋白表达水平（0.29±0.04、0.28±0.05比0.76±0.08）升高,差异具有统计学意义（P均< 0.05）。与Anti-miR-106a-inhibitor+si-NC组比较,Anti-miR-106a-inhibitor+si-PTEN组细胞OD值（0.33±0.03比0.52±0.05）、侵袭数[（84.16±5.91）个比（105.79±8.63）个]、迁移数[（118.42±10.25）个比（164.28±12.05）个]、vimentin蛋白表达水平（0.34±0.06比0.68±0.05）均升高,E-cadherin蛋白表达水平（0.72±0.06比0.29±0.05）降低,差异具有统计学意义（P均< 0.05）。 结论miR-106a-5p可通过靶向调控PTEN抑制鼻咽癌细胞SUNE2增殖和迁移潜能。     

Hepatitis C virus inhibits AKT-tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), the mechanistic target of rapamycin (MTOR) pathway,through endoplasmic reticulum stress to induce autophagy

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is able to induce autophagy via endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, but the exact molecular signaling pathway is not well understood. We found that the activity of the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (MTORC1) was inhibited in Huh7 cells either harboring HCV-N (genotype 1b) full-genomic replicon or infected with JFH1 (genotype 2a) virus, which led to the activation of UNC-51-like kinase 1 (ULK1) and thus to autophagy. We then analyzed activity upstream of MTORC1, and found that both protein kinase, AMP-activated, α (PRKAA, including PRKAA1 and PRKAA2, also known as AMP-activated protein kinase, AMPKα) and AKT (refers to pan AKT, including three isoforms of AKT1-3, also known as protein kinase B, PKB) were inhibited by HCV infection. The inhibition of the AKT-TSC-MTORC1 pathway contributed to upregulating autophagy, but inhibition of PRKAA downregulated autophagy. The net effect on autophagy was from AKT, which overrode the inhibition effect from PRKAA. It was further found that HCV-induced ER stress was responsible for the inhibition of the AKT pathway. Metformin, a PRKAA agonist, inhibited HCV replication not only by activating PRKAA as previously reported, but also by activating AKT independently of the autophagy pathway. Taken together, our data suggested HCV inhibited the AKT-TSC-MTORC1 pathway via ER stress, resulting in autophagy, which may contribute to the establishment of the HCV-induced autophagy.     

Countrywide Survey for MERS-Coronavirus Antibodies in Dromedaries and Humans in Pakistan

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is a zoonotic pathogen capable of causing severe respiratory disease in humans. Although dromedary camels are considered as a major reservoir host, the MERS-CoV infection dynamics in camels are not fully understood. Through surveillance in Pakistan, nasal (n = 776) and serum (n = 1050)samples were collected from camels between November 2015 and February 2018. Samples were collected from animal markets, free-roaming herds and abattoirs. An in-house ELISA was developed to detect IgG against MERS-CoV. A total of 794 camels were found seropositive for MERS-CoV. Prevalence increased with the age and the highest seroprevalence was recorded in camels aged [ 10 years (81.37%) followed by those aged 3.1–10 years (78.65%) and B 3 years (58.19%).Higher prevalence was observed in female (78.13%) as compared to male (70.70%). Of the camel nasal swabs, 22 were found to be positive by RT-qPCR though with high Ct values. Moreover, 2,409 human serum samples were also collected from four provinces of Pakistan during 2016–2017. Among the sampled population, 840 humans were camel herders.Although we found a high rate of MERS-CoV antibody positive dromedaries (75.62%) in Pakistan, no neutralizing antibodies were detected in humans with and without contact to camels.     

The protective effect of cycloastragenol on aging mouse circadian rhythmic disorder induced by d-galactose

Aging process in mammals is associated with a decline in amplitude and a long period of circadian behaviors which are regulated by a central circadian regulator in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and local oscillators in peripheral tissues. It is unclear whether enhancing clock function can retard aging. Using fibroblasts expressing per2::lucSV and senescent cells, we revealed cycloastragenol (CAG), a natural aglycone derivative from astragaloside IV, as a clock amplitude enhancing small molecule. CAG could activate telomerase to antiaging, but no reports focused on its effects on circadian rhythm disorders in aging mice. Here we analyze the potential effects of CAG on d -galactose-induced aging mice on the circadian behavior and expression of clock genes. For this purpose, CAG (20 mg/kg orally), was administered daily to d -galactose (150 mg/kg, subcutaneous) mice model of aging for 6 weeks. An actogram analysis of free-running activity of these mice showed that CAG significantly enhances the locomotor activity. We further found that CAG increase expressions of per2 and bmal1 genes in liver and kidney of aging mouse. Furthermore, CAG enhanced clock protein BMAL1 and PER2 levels in aging mouse liver and SCN. Our results indicated that the CAG could restore the behavior of circadian rhythm in aging mice induced by d -galactose. These data of present study suggested that CAG could be used as a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of age-related circadian rhythm disruption.     

The Role of HSPA12B in Regulating Neuronal Apoptosis

Heat shock protein A12B (HSPA12B) is the newest member of a recently defined subfamily of proteins distantly related to the 70-kDa family of heat shock proteins (HSP70) family. HSP70s play a crucial role in protecting cells, tissues, organs and animals from various noxious conditions. Here we studied the dynamic expression changes and localization of HSPA12B after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) with reperfusion induced ischemic insult processes in adult rats. Apoptosis, as indicated by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining, was also increased in the peri-ischemic cortex compared to non-ischemic hemisphere. The expression of HSPA12B was strongly induced in the ischemic hemisphere of MCAO reperfusion rats in vivo. In vitro studies indicated that the up-regulation of HSPA12B may be involved in oxygen-glucose deprivation-induced PC12 cell death. And knockdown of HSPA12B in cultured differentiated PC12 cells by siRNA showed that HSPA12B inhibited the expression of active caspase-3. Collectively, these results suggested that HSPA12B may be required for protecting neurons from ischemic insults.     

Brassinosteroids promote development of rice pollen grains and seeds by triggering expression of Carbon Starved Anther,a MYB domain protein

Transport of photoassimilates from leaf tissues (source regions) to the sink organs is essential for plant development. Here, we show that a phytohormone, the brassinosteroids (BRs) promotes pollen and seed development in rice by directly promoting expression of Carbon Starved Anther (CSA) which encodes a MYB domain protein. Over‐expression of the BR‐synthesis gene D11 or a BR‐signaling factor OsBZR1 results in higher sugar accumulation in developing anthers and seeds, as well as higher grain yield compared with control non‐transgenic plants. Conversely, knockdown of D11 or OsBZR1 expression causes defective pollen maturation and reduced seed size and weight, with less accumulation of starch in comparison with the control. Mechanically, OsBZR1 directly promotes CSA expression and CSA directly triggers expression of sugar partitioning and metabolic genes during pollen and seed development. These findings provide insight into how BRs enhance plant reproduction and grain yield in an important agricultural crop.