Growth Inhibitory Effect of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFAs) on Colon Cancer Cells via Their Growth Inhibitory Metabolites and Fatty Acid Composition Changes

Background

Colorectal cancer is common. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) exert growth-inhibitory and pro-apoptotic effects on colon cancer cells. Metabolites of PUFAs such as prostaglandins (PGs), leukotrienes (LTs) and lipoxins (LXs) play a significant role in colon cancer.

Methods

Human colon cancer LoVo and RKO cells were cultured with different concentration of PUFAs and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in vitro. Cell morphological changes, fatty acid composition, formation of PGE2, LTB4 and LXA4 and expression of COX-2, ALOX5, PGD synthase (PGDS), microsomal prostaglandin E synthase (mPGES) were assessed in LoVo and RKO cells when supplemented with PUFAs and 5-FU.

Results

PUFAs and 5-FU inhibited growth of LoVo and RKO cells to the same extent at the doses used and produced significant alterations in their shape. As expected, higher concentrations of supplemented PUFAs were noted in the cells compared to control. LA, GLA, AA, ALA and EPA supplementation to LoVo cells suppressed production of PGE₂, LTB₄,and ALOX5, mPGES expression, but enhanced that of LXA₄; whereas DHA enhanced PGE₂ and LXA₄ synthesis but decreased LTB₄ formation and COX-2, ALOX5, mPGES expression. In contrast, 5-FU enhanced formation of PGE₂, LTB₄ and mPGES expression, but suppressed LXA₄ synthesis and COX-2 expression. PGE₂, LTB₄ synthesis and ALOX5 expression was suppressed by LA, GLA, ALA and DHA; whereas AA, EPA and 5-FU enhanced PGE₂ but paradoxically AA decreased and EPA and 5-FU enhanced LTB4 synthesis in RKO cells. All the PUFAs tested enhanced, while 5-FU decreased LXA₄ formation in RKO cells; whereas GLA, AA, and 5-FU augmented while LA, ALA, EPA and DHA enhanced COX-2 expression in RKO cells.

Conclusions

Tumoricidal action of PUFAs on colorectal LoVo and RKO cancer cells in vitro was associated with increased formation of LXA₄, decreased synthesis of PGE₂ and LTB₄ and suppressed expression of COX-2, ALOX5, mPGES, whereas 5-FU produced contrasting actions on these indices.     

青稞HbSnRK2.4的克隆及其序列特征与表达特性分析

干旱胁迫是制约农作物生产的重要限制因素之一,研究并增强作物的抗旱性具有重要意义。Sn RK2(Sucrose nonfermenting 1-related protein kinase 2)基因编码一类蔗糖非酵解型蛋白激酶,该酶在ABA信号转录途径和抗渗透胁迫中起着重要作用。以青稞(Hordeum vulgare subsp.vulgare)抗旱品种喜马拉雅10号为材料,利用RT-PCR技术克隆获得了Sn RK2基因全长c DNA序列,命名为Hb Sn RK2.4(登录号:KJ699389)。生物信息学分析表明,该基因全长1 310 bp,编码362个氨基酸序列,蛋白分子量为41.94 k D,等电点(p I)为5.96。Prosite Scan分析结果表明,Hb Sn RK2.4含有多个干旱胁迫响应蛋白的作用位点,如酪蛋白激酶Ⅱ磷酸化位点、酪氨酸激酶磷酸化位点、蛋白激酶C磷酸化位点及N-豆蔻酰化位点等。利用实时定量PCR方法研究了Hb Sn RK2.4在干旱胁迫条件下及复水后不同时间点的表达情况,发现Hb Sn RK2.4在土壤绝对含水量为33.4%时表达量最高,随着土壤绝对含水量的下降而下调表达;当达到作物正常生长所需的土壤绝对含水量时又开始上调表达;进行干旱胁迫后(15.5%)基因表达量下降;复水后8 h时恢复正常表达水平。     

Cloning and Functional Characterization of the Maize (Zea mays L.) Carotenoid Epsilon Hydroxylase Gene

The assignment of functions to genes in the carotenoid biosynthesis pathway is necessary to understand how the pathway is regulated and to obtain the basic information required for metabolic engineering. Few carotenoid ε-hydroxylases have been functionally characterized in plants although this would provide insight into the hydroxylation steps in the pathway. We therefore isolated mRNA from the endosperm of maize (Zea mays L., inbred line B73) and cloned a full-length cDNA encoding CYP97C19, a putative heme-containing carotenoid ε hydroxylase and member of the cytochrome P450 family. The corresponding CYP97C19 genomic locus on chromosome 1 was found to comprise a single-copy gene with nine introns. We expressed CYP97C19 cDNA under the control of the constitutive CaMV 35S promoter in the Arabidopsis thaliana lut1 knockout mutant, which lacks a functional CYP97C1 (LUT1) gene. The analysis of carotenoid levels and composition showed that lutein accumulated to high levels in the rosette leaves of the transgenic lines but not in the untransformed lut1 mutants. These results allowed the unambiguous functional annotation of maize CYP97C19 as an enzyme with strong zeinoxanthin ε-ring hydroxylation activity.     

一株产琼胶酶细菌的分离、鉴定及其琼胶酶基本性质

【目的】分离海洋来源的琼胶酶产生菌,对其进行分类鉴定,并研究其所产琼胶酶的基本酶学性质,为琼胶酶的应用研究及开发利用奠定基础。【方法】通过以琼脂为唯一碳源的选择培养基分离产琼胶酶的菌株;利用16S rRNA基因序列分析、表型和生理生化特征对菌株进行鉴定;通过DNS-还原糖法测定琼胶酶活性;利用显色底物法测定琼胶酶的类型;对菌株所产琼胶酶粗酶的酶学性质进行初步研究。【结果】分离到一株产琼胶酶的菌株NTa,16S rRNA基因序列分析显示该菌株属于寡养单胞菌属(Stenotrophomonas sp.);该菌株主要产胞外琼胶酶,可分泌α-琼胶酶和β-琼胶酶;琼胶酶粗酶的最适反应温度和pH分别为40℃和7.0,并且琼胶酶在温度低于30℃,pH为7.0-9.0时稳定;Ca2+对琼胶酶粗酶具有促进作用,Ag+、Fe2+、Ba2+、Mn2+、Cu2+、Zn2+和Fe3+均可不同程度地抑制酶的活性;EDTA对琼胶酶粗酶活性具有抑制作用;琼胶酶粗酶对检测的抑制剂、去垢剂及变性剂有较好的抗性。【结论】海洋细菌Stenotrophomonas sp.NTa是一种新型的产琼胶酶菌株,可同时分泌α-琼胶酶和β-琼胶酶,具有潜在开发利用价值。     

Hsp90 inhibitor 17-AAG sensitizes Bcl-2 inhibitor (-)-gossypol by suppressing ERK-mediated protective autophagy and Mcl-1 accumulation in hepatocellular carcinoma cells

Natural BH3-memitic (-)-gossypol shows promising antitumor efficacy in several kinds of cancer. However, our previous studies have demonstrated that protective autophagy decreases the drug sensitivities of Bcl-2 inhibitors in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. In the present study, we are the first to report that Hsp90 inhibitor 17-AAG enhanced (-)-gossypol-induced apoptosis via suppressing (-)-gossypol-triggered protective autophagy and Mcl-1 accumulation. The suppression effect of 17-AAG on autophagy was mediated by inhibiting ERK-mediated Bcl-2 phosphorylation while was not related to Beclin1 or LC3 protein instability. Meanwhile, 17-AAG downregulated (-)-gossypol-triggered Mcl-1 accumulation by suppressing Mcl-1^Thr163 phosphorylation and promoting protein degradation. Collectively, our study indicates that Hsp90 plays an important role in tumor maintenance and inhibition of Hsp90 may become a new strategy for sensitizing Bcl-2-targeted chemotherapies in HCC cells.     

Substrate consumption and excess sludge reduction of activated sludge in the presence of uncouplers: a modeling approach

A mathematical model with a consideration of energy spilling is developed to describe the activated sludge in the presence of different levels of metabolic uncouplers. The consumption of substrate and oxygen via energy spilling process is modeled with a Monod term, which is dependent on substrate and inhibitor. The sensitivity of the developed model is analyzed. Three parameters, maximum specific growth rate (μ _max), energy spilling coefficient (q _max), and sludge yield coefficient (Y _H) are estimated with experimental data of different studies. The values of μ _max, q _max, and Y _H are found to be 6.72 day^-1, 5.52 day^-1, and 0.60 mg COD mg^-1 COD for 2, 4-dinitrophenol and 7.20 day^-1, 1.58 day^-1, and 0.62 mg COD mg^-1 COD for 2, 4-dichlorophenol. Substrate degradation and sludge yield could be predicted with this model. The activated sludge process in the presence of uncouplers that is described more reasonably by the new model with a consideration of energy spilling. The effects of uncouplers on substrate consumption inhibition and excess sludge reduction in activated sludge are quantified with this model.     

Affiliation in the social interactions in captivity of the torch tail rat, Trinomys yonenagae (Rodentia: Echimyidae)

In a previous paper, we measured the affiliation between male individuals of Trinomys yonenagae and concluded that the intensity of affiliation was high and did not differ between animals from the same social group and from different social groups. In this paper, we report the results obtained with the same experimental procedure with female individuals. We also discuss sexual differences in the social interaction of this species. The experimental procedure was based on 40-min encounters between residents, which remained alone in an arena for 24 h, and introduced intruders, in a round-robin design. We quantified one variable indicative of activity level (number of squares crossed), one indicative of anxiety (time in marginal squares), three indicative of affiliation (number of physical contacts, mean distance between rodents, and total duration of physical contact), and the number of sound emissions. No aggressive behaviors were exhibited. The results indicate that there is a high level of affiliation mediated by acoustic communication both for males and females and that no anxiety is associated with social context, especially in females. The evolution of sociality in T. yonenagae was probably linked to an increase of tolerance especially among adult females. We also suggest that predation was a stronger selective pressure than resource availability in the evolution of sociality in this species.     

CREB up-regulates long non-coding RNA,HULC expression through interaction with microRNA-372 in liver cancer

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), highly up-regulated in liver cancer (HULC) plays an important role in tumorigenesis. Depletion of HULC resulted in a significant deregulation of several genes involved in liver cancer. Although up-regulation of HULC expression in hepatocellular carcinoma has been reported, the molecular mechanisms remain unknown. In this study, we used in vivo and in vitro approaches to characterize cancer-dependent alterations in the chromatin organization and find a CREB binding site (encompassing from −67 to −53 nt) in the core promoter. Besides, we also provided evidence that PKA pathway may involved in up-regulation of HULC. Furthermore, we demonstrated HULC may act as an endogenous ‘sponge’, which down-regulates a series of microRNAs (miRNAs) activities, including miR-372. Inhibition of miR-372 leads to reducing translational repression of its target gene, PRKACB, which in turn induces phosphorylation of CREB. Over-expression of miR-372 decreases the association of CREB with the proximal promoter, followed by the dissociation of P300, resulting in a change of the histone ‘code’, such as in deacetylation and methylation. The study elucidates that fine tuning of HULC expression is part of an auto-regulatory loop in which it’s inhibitory to expression and activity of miR-372 allows lncRNA up-regulated expression in liver cancer.