Deoxyribonuclease 1-like 3 Inhibits Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression by Inducing Apoptosis and Reprogramming Glucose Metabolism

HCC has remained one of the challenging cancers to treat, owing to the paucity of drugs targeting the critical survival pathways. Considering the cancer cells are deficient in DNase activity, the increase of an autonomous apoptisis endonuclease should be a reasonable choice for cancer treatment. In this study, we investigated whether DNASE1L3, an endonuclease implicated in apoptosis, could inhibit the progress of HCC. We found DNASE1L3 was down-regulated in HCC tissues, whereas its high expression was positively associated with the favorable prognosis of patients with HCC. Besides, serum DNASE1L3 levels were lower in HCC patients than in healthy individuals. Functionally, we found that DNASE1L3 inhibited the proliferation of tumor cells by inducing G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and cell apoptosis in vitro. Additionally, DNASE1L3 overexpression suppressed tumor growth in vivo. Furthermore, we found that DNASE1L3 overexpression weakened glycolysis in HCC cells and tissues via inactivating the rate-limiting enzymes involved in PTPN2-HK2 and CEBPβ-p53-PFK1 pathways. Finally, we identified the HBx to inhibit DNASE1L3 expression by up-regulating the expression of ZNF384. Collectively, our findings demonstrated that DNASE1L3 could inhibit the HCC progression through inducing cell apoptosis and weakening glycolysis. We believe DNASE1L3 could be considered as a promising prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for HCC.     

cGMP/Protein Kinase G Signaling Suppresses Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate Receptor Phosphorylation and Promotes Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Photoreceptors of Cyclic Nucleotide-gated Channel-deficient Mice

Photoreceptor cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels play a pivotal role in phototransduction. Mutations in the cone CNG channel subunits CNGA3 and CNGB3 are associated with achromatopsia and cone dystrophies. We have shown endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-associated apoptotic cone death and increased phosphorylation of the ER Ca²⁺ channel inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor 1 (IP₃R1) in CNG channel-deficient mice. We also presented a remarkable elevation of cGMP and an increased activity of the cGMP-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase G, PKG) in CNG channel deficiency. This work investigated whether cGMP/PKG signaling regulates ER stress and IP₃R1 phosphorylation in CNG channel-deficient cones. Treatment with PKG inhibitor and deletion of guanylate cyclase-1 (GC1), the enzyme producing cGMP in cones, were used to suppress cGMP/PKG signaling in cone-dominant Cnga3^−/−/Nrl^−/− mice. We found that treatment with PKG inhibitor or deletion of GC1 effectively reduced apoptotic cone death, increased expression levels of cone proteins, and decreased activation of Müller glial cells. Furthermore, we observed significantly increased phosphorylation of IP₃R1 and reduced ER stress. Our findings demonstrate a role of cGMP/PKG signaling in ER stress and ER Ca²⁺ channel regulation and provide insights into the mechanism of cone degeneration in CNG channel deficiency.     

Conformational change of syntaxin linker region induced by Munc13s initiates SNARE complex formation in synaptic exocytosis

The soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) protein syntaxin-1 adopts a closed conformation when bound to Munc18-1, preventing binding to synaptobrevin-2 and SNAP-25 to form the ternary SNARE complex. Although it is known that the MUN domain of Munc13-1 catalyzes the transition from the Munc18-1/syntaxin-1 complex to the SNARE complex, the molecular mechanism is unclear. Here, we identified two conserved residues (R151, I155) in the syntaxin-1 linker region as key sites for the MUN domain interaction. This interaction is essential for SNARE complex formation in vitro and synaptic vesicle priming in neuronal cultures. Moreover, this interaction is important for a tripartite Munc18-1/syntaxin-1/MUN complex, in which syntaxin-1 still adopts a closed conformation tightly bound to Munc18-1, whereas the syntaxin-1 linker region changes its conformation, similar to that of the LE mutant of syntaxin-1 when bound to Munc18-1. We suggest that the conformational change of the syntaxin-1 linker region induced by Munc13-1 initiates ternary SNARE complex formation in the neuronal system.     

Using capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence to study the interaction of green fluorescent protein-labeled calmodulin with Ca2+- and calmodulin-binding protein

A separation using capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence (CE-LIF) was applied to the study of green fluorescent protein tagged calmoldulin (GFP-CaM) that was expressed from Escherichia coli and purified with Ni(2+)-nitrilotriacetate (Ni-NTA) resin column. It was found that GFP-CaM not only has good fluorescence properties under various conditions similar to GFP, but also retains its calcium-binding ability as the native CaM. GFP-CaM was separated and detected by CE-LIF within 10 min with a limit-of-detection (LOD) of 2 x 10(-10) M for an injection volume of 3 nl, higher than that of common chemical fluorescent-tagged protein method. The results indicated that, as a fluorescence probe, GFP could overcome the drawback of inefficient derivatization of chemical fluorescence probes. The interaction between the GFP-CaM and Ca(2+) was studied in detail using affinity capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence and the dissociation constant (K(d)) between GFP-CaM and Ca(2+) was determined to be 1.2 x 10(-5), which is in good agreement with the literature values of untagged CaM (10(-6) to 10(-5)M) obtained by conventional method. As a preliminary application, the interaction between GFP-CaM and OsCBK was also investigated. The method makes it possible to screen the trace amounts of target proteins in crude extracts interacting with CaM under physiological conditions.     

血管紧张素AT1受体抗体阳性孕鼠后代高盐饮食后血管功能障碍

血管紧张素AT1受体抗体(AT1-Ab)可损伤胎盘发育,进而导致胎儿宫内生长受限(intrauterine growth restriction,IUGR).根据胎儿源性成人疾病学说,IUGR会明显增加成人后患心血管疾病的几率.本研究旨在观察AT1-Ab阳性孕鼠后代生长至成年后血管功能有无异常.24只雌性Wistar大...     

Identification,Expression and Activity Analyses of Five Novel Duck Beta-Defensins

In the current study, five novel avian β-defensins (AvBDs) were identified and characterized in tissues from Peking ducks (Anas platyrhynchos). The nucleotide sequences of these cDNAs comprised 198 bp, 182 bp, 201 bp, 204 bp, and 168 bp, and encoded 65, 60, 66, 67, and 55 amino acids, respectively. Homology, characterization and comparison of these genes with AvBD from other avian species confirmed that they were Apl_AvBD1, 3, 5, 6, and 16. Recombinant AvBDs were produced and purified by expressing these genes in Escherichia coli. In addition, peptides were synthesized according to the respective AvBD sequences. Investigation of the antibacterial activity of the Apl_AvBDs showed that all of them exhibited antibacterial activity against all 12 bacteria investigated (P<0.05 or P<0.01). In addition, the antibacterial activity of all of the AvBDs against M. tetragenus and P. multocida decreased significantly in the presence of 150 mM NaCl (P<0.01). None of the AvBDs showed hemolytic activity. Consistent with their broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, the five novel Apl_AvBDs inhibited replication of duck hepatitis virus (DHV) in vitro significantly (P<0.05). The mRNA expression of all five Apl_AvBD in most tissues, including immune organs and the liver, was upregulated in response to DHV infection at different time points. These findings provide evidence that these defensins activate the immune response to combat microbial infection.     

Community-based colorectal cancer intervention in underserved Korean Americans

Background: Despite evidence of a decline in both incidence and prevalence of colorectal cancer nationwide, it remains the second most commonly diagnosed cancer and the third highest cause of mortality among Asian Americans, including Korean Americans. This community-based and theoretically guided study evaluated a culturally appropriate intervention program that included a bilingual cancer educational program among Korean Americans including information on CRC risks, counseling to address psychosocial and access barriers, and patient navigation assistance. Methods: A two-group quasi-experimental design with baseline and post-intervention assessment and a 12-month follow-up on screening was used in the study. Korean Americans (N = 167) were enrolled from six Korean churches. The intervention group received culturally appropriate intervention program addressing accessibility and psychosocial barriers, and navigation assistance for screening. The control group received general health education that included cancer-related health issues and screening. Results: There was a significant difference (p < 0.05) between the post-intervention and control groups in awareness of CRC risk factors. There was also a significant improvement in the pre–post across HBM measures in the intervention group for perceived susceptibility (p < 0.05) and benefits and barriers to screening (p < 0.001). At baseline, 13% of participants in the intervention group and 10% in control group reported having had a CRC cancer screening test in the previous year. At the 12-month post-intervention follow-up, 77.4% of participants in the intervention group had obtained screening compared to 10.8% in the control group. Conclusion: While health disparities result from numerous factors, a culturally appropriate and church-based intervention can be highly effective in increasing knowledge of and access to, and in reducing barriers to CRC screening among underserved Koreans.