Hydrogen peroxide and nitric oxide are involved in programmed cell death induced by cryopreservation in Dendrobium protocorm-like bodies

Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture (PCTOC) - Programmed cell death (PCD) plays a key role in animal tissue cell death following cryopreservation. However, there are few studies evaluating the...     

Circulating small non-coding RNAs provide new insights into vitamin K nutrition and reproductive physiology in teleost fish

Background

Vitamin K (VK) is a fat-soluble vitamin known for its essential role in blood coagulation, but also on other biological processes (e.g. reproduction, brain and bone development) have been recently suggested. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanisms behind its particular function on reproduction are not yet fully understood.

Mycosis Due to Tropicoporus tropicalis (= Inonotus tropicalis) in a Domestic Dog

Mycopathologia - Mycelial basidiomycetes rarely produce mycoses in animals including humans. We report a case of a 9-year-old female mongrel dog with lesions in the prescapular lymph nodes. The...     

Functional Recovery Occurs Even After Partial Remyelination of Axon-Meshed Median and Ulnar Nerves in Mice

Upper limb nerve injuries are common, and their treatment poses a challenge for physicians and surgeons. Experimental models help in minimum exploration of the functional characteristics of peripheral nerve injuries of forelimbs. This study was conducted to characterize the functional recovery (1, 3, 7, 10, 14, and 21 days) after median and ulnar nerve crush in mice and analyze the histological and biochemical markers of nerve regeneration (after 21 days). Sensory–functional impairments appeared after 1 day. The peripheral nerve morphology, the nerve structure, and the density of myelin proteins [myelin protein zero (P0) and peripheral myelin protein 22 (PMP22)] were analyzed after 21 days. Cold allodynia and fine motor coordination recovery occurred on the 10th day, and grip strength recovery was observed on the 14th day after injury. After 21 days, there was partial myelin sheath recovery. PMP22 recovery was complete, whereas P0 recovery was not. Results suggest that there is complete functional recovery even with partial remyelination of median and ulnar nerves in mice.

     

Protein structure prediction assisted with sparse NMR data in CASP13

CASP13 has investigated the impact of sparse NMR data on the accuracy of protein structure prediction. NOESY and ¹⁵N-¹H residual dipolar coupling data, typical of that obtained for ¹⁵N,¹³C-enriched, perdeuterated proteins up to about 40 kDa, were simulated for 11 CASP13 targets ranging in size from 80 to 326 residues. For several targets, two prediction groups generated models that are more accurate than those produced using baseline methods. Real NMR data collected for a de novo designed protein were also provided to predictors, including one data set in which only backbone resonance assignments were available. Some NMR-assisted prediction groups also did very well with these data. CASP13 also assessed whether incorporation of sparse NMR data improves the accuracy of protein structure prediction relative to nonassisted regular methods. In most cases, incorporation of sparse, noisy NMR data results in models with higher accuracy. The best NMR-assisted models were also compared with the best regular predictions of any CASP13 group for the same target. For six of 13 targets, the most accurate model provided by any NMR-assisted prediction group was more accurate than the most accurate model provided by any regular prediction group; however, for the remaining seven targets, one or more regular prediction method provided a more accurate model than even the best NMR-assisted model. These results suggest a novel approach for protein structure determination, in which advanced prediction methods are first used to generate structural models, and sparse NMR data is then used to validate and/or refine these models.     

The function of BED finger domain of Zbed3 in regulating lung cancer cell proliferation

Zbed3, a BED finger domain-containing protein was found to promote cancer proliferation by regulating β-catenin expression through interacting with Axin. But whether and how BED finger domain function in regulating cancer proliferation is unknown. We constructed five mutants of Zbed3, which lacks the Axin-Zbed3 binding site, and the 43 to 52, 69 to 77, 87 to 92, and 97 to 104 sequences in BED finger domain, respectively and named them as Z-A, Z1, Z2, Z3, and Z4. Transfection of both wild-type of Zbed3 and the mutants Z1, Z3, and Z4 (P < 0.05), but not Z2 (P > 0.05) significantly upregulated β-catenin expression in NCI-H1299 cells. Overexpression of both wild-type of Zbed3 and the mutants Z1, Z3, and Z4 (P < 0.05) but not Z2 (P > 0.05) significantly promoted cancer cell proliferation and invasion. The ability of proliferation (P < 0.05) but not invasion (P < 0.05) of cancer cells transfected with Z1 and Z4 was significantly lower than that with wild-type Zbed3 and Z3. Overexpression of wild-type Zbed3 (P < 0.05) but not the mutant Z-A, which lacks the binding site with Axin and Z2 (P > 0.05) significantly upregulated the interaction of Axin and Zbed3, β-catenin expression and the activity of Wnt signaling. Both overexpression of wild-type Zbed3 and the mutant Z1 and Z4 significantly upregulated the activity of Wnt signaling and promoted cancer cell proliferation (P < 0.05) but only overexpression of wild-type Zbed3 (P < 0.05), but not the mutant Z1, and Z4 (P > 0.05), significantly upregulated the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in NCI-H1299 cells. These results indicate that Zbed3 may promote lung cancer cell proliferation through regulating PCNA expression besides regulating β-catenin expression and BED finger domain can impact on this function.     

24-Epibrassinolide Mechanisms Regulating Blossom-End Rot Development in Tomato Fruit

Blossom-end rot (BER) is a physiological disorder believed to be triggered by low Ca²⁺ content in the distal fruit tissue. However, many other factors can also determine fruit susceptibility to BER. It is possible that during fruit growth, Ca²⁺ imbalance can increase membrane leakiness, which may trigger the accumulation of reactive oxygen species, leading to cell death. Brassinosteroids are a class of plant hormones involved in stress defenses, specially increasing the activity of antioxidant enzymes and the accumulation of antioxidant compounds, such as ascorbic acid. The objective of this study was to understand the mechanisms by which 24-epibrassinolide (EBL) reduces fruit susceptibility to BER. Tomato plants ‘BRS Montese’ were cultivated in a greenhouse and were weekly sprayed with water (control) or EBL (0.01 µM) after full bloom. Plants and fruits were evaluated at 15 days after pollination (DAP). According to the results, EBL treatment inhibited BER development, increased fruit diameter, length, and fresh weight. EBL-treated fruit showed higher concentrations of soluble Ca²⁺ and lower concentrations of cell wall-bound Ca²⁺. EBL-treated fruit also had higher concentrations of ascorbic acid and lower concentrations of hydrogen peroxide, compared to water-treated fruit. EBL treatment increased the activity of the three main antioxidant enzymes known as ascorbate peroxidase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase. According to the results, EBL treatment maintained higher soluble Ca²⁺ and antioxidant capacity, reducing fruit susceptibility to BER.

     

LncRNA CASC2 inhibits proliferation and migration of adenocarcinoma cells via miR-4735-3p and mTOR

Lung adenocarcinoma is a major form of non–small-cell lung cancer that frequently strikes nonsmokers. The disease is often diagnosed at a late stage and the 5-year survival rate is very low. Although previous studies found many somatic alterations associated with lung adenocarcinoma, the molecular basis of the development and progression of the disease is not well understood. We found that long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) cancer susceptibility candidate 2 (CASC2), a putative tumor suppressor, was downregulated in both patient adenocarcinoma tissues and cultured lung cancer cells. Its tumor suppression function seemed to be dependent on its binding to miR-4735-5p. Changing the levels of CASC2 and miR-4735-3p in the cultured adenocarcinoma cells could affect the malignant phenotypes as well as growth of tumors derived from the cells injected into nude mice. Furthermore, the lncRNA and miR-4735-3p interplay likely the suppressed tumor growth through the downstream mammalian target of rapamycin signaling pathway. The results have revealed molecular details that may be critical for the development of lung adenocarcinoma, opening opportunities for the development of novel, and therapeutic tools.     

The enigmatic role of matrix metalloproteinases in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition of oral squamous cell carcinoma: Implications and nutraceutical aspects

The most prevalent malignancy in the oral cavity is represented by oral squamous cell carcinoma, an aggressive disease mostly detected in low-income communities. This neoplasia is mostly diffused in older men particularly exposed to risk factors such as tobacco, alcohol, and a diet rich in fatty foods and poor in vegetables. In oral squamous cell carcinoma, a wide range of matrix-cleaving proteinases are involved in extracellular matrix remodeling of cancer microenvironment. In particular, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) represent the major and most investigated protagonists. Owing to their strong involvement in malignant pathologies, MMPs are considered the most promising new biomarkers in cancer diagnosis and prognosis. The interest in studying MMPs in oral cancer biology is also owing to their prominent role in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). EMT is an intricate process involving different complex pathways. EMT-related proteins are attractive diagnostic biomarkers that characterize the activation of biological events that promote cancer's aggressive expansion. Different antioncogenic natural compounds have been investigated to counteract oral carcinogenesis, with the scope of obtaining better clinical results and lower morbidity. In particular, we describe the role of different nutraceuticals used for the regulation of MMP-related invasion and proliferation of oral cancer cells.