Proteomic characterization of seeds from yellow lupin (Lupinus luteus L.)

Yellow lupin (Lupinus luteus L.) is a legume crop containing a large amount of protein in its seeds. In this study, we constructed a seed‐protein catalog to provide a foundation for further study of the seeds. A total of 736 proteins were identified in 341 2DE spots by nano‐LC‐MS/MS. Eight storage proteins were found as multiple spots in the 2DE gels. The 736 proteins correspond to 152 unique proteins as shown by UniRef50 clustering. Sixty‐seven of the 152 proteins were associated with KEGG‐defined pathways. Of the remaining proteins, 57 were classified according to a GO term. The functions of the remaining 28 proteins have yet to be determined. This is the first yellow lupin seed–protein catalog, and it contains considerably more data than previously reported for white lupin (L. albus L.).     

Midkine exacerbates pressure overload-induced cardiac remodeling

Midkine is a multifunctional growth factor, and its serum levels are increased with the functional severity of heart failure. This study aimed to examine the role of midkine in heart failure pathogenesis. Midkine expression levels were increased in the kidney and lung after transverse aortic constriction (TAC) surgery, but not sufficiently increased in the heart. After TAC, phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase1/2 and AKT, and the expression levels of foetal genes in the heart were considerably increased in transgenic mice with cardiac-specific overexpression of midkine (MK-Tg) compared with wild-type (WT) mice. MK-Tg mice showed more severe cardiac hypertrophy and dysfunction, and showed lower survival rate after TAC than WT mice. We conclude that midkine plays a critical role in cardiac hypertrophy and remodelling.     

Microenvironment of a tumor-organoid system enhances hepatocellular carcinoma malignancy-related hallmarks

Organ-like microenviroment and 3-dimensional (3D) cell culture conformations have been suggested as promising approaches to mimic in a micro-scale a whole organ cellular functions and interactions present in vivo. We have used this approach to examine biologic features of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. In this study, we demonstrate that hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells, fibroblasts, endothelial cells and extracellular matrix can generate organoid-like spheroids that enhanced numerous features of human HCC observed in vivo. We show that the addition of non-parenchymal cells such as fibroblast and endothelial cells is required for spheroid formation as well as the maintenance of the tissue-like structure. Furthermore, HCC cells cultured as spheroids with non-parenchymal cells express more neo-angiogenesis-related markers (VEGFR2, VEGF, HIF-α), tumor-related inflammatory factors (CXCR4, CXCL12, TNF-α) and molecules-related to induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (TGFβ, Vimentin, MMP9) compared with organoids containing only HCC cells.

These results demonstrate the importance of non-parenchymal cells in the cellular composition of HCC organoids. The novelty of the multicellular-based organotypic culture system strongly supports the integration of this approach in a high throughput approach to identified patient-specific HCC malignancy and accurate anti-tumor therapy screening after surgery.     

Structural changes in the glutamine-chargeable Escherichia coli transfer RNA-Trp produced by chemical modification with sodium bisulfite

Glutamine-mischargeable tRNA produced by sodium bisulfite-treated Escherichia coli tRNA-Trp was isolated by dihydroxyboryl-cellulose affinity column chromatography. This tRNA was shown to have dual specificity tryptophan and glutamine, and, when charged with either amino acid, bound to ribosomes in response to the non-sense codon UAG but not in response to the tryptophan codon UGG. The results were consistent with the reported properties of Su+7 tRNA. The bisulfite-treated tRNA-Trp migrated as two bands during polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The faster moving band (band I) coincided with that of untreated tRNA-Trp. The slower moving band (band II) coincided with the glutamine-chargeable tRNA-Trp. Su+7 tRNA behaved like band II tRNA upon gel electrophoresis. Nucleotide sequence analysis showed that a cytidine-uridine transition occurred at the 1st or the 2n position of the anitcodon of band II tRNA. Band I and band II tRNAs differed from each other in their thermal melting profiles. It is suggested that the single base change in the anticodon is responsible for the altered conformation of band II tRNA.