MFN2 silencing promotes neural differentiation of embryonic stem cells via the Akt signaling pathway

Mitofusin 2 (MFN2) is a regulatory protein participating in mitochondria dynamics, cell proliferation, death, differentiation, and so on. This study aims at revealing the functional role of MFN2 in the pluripotency maintenance and primitive differetiation of embryonic stem cell (ESCs). A dox inducible silencing and routine overexpressing approach was used to downregulate and upregulate MFN2 expression, respectively. We have compared the morphology, cell proliferation, and expression level of pluripotent genes in various groups. We also used directed differentiation methods to test the differentiation capacity of various groups. The Akt signaling pathway was explored by the western blot assay. MFN2 upregulation in ESCs exhibited a typical cell morphology and similar cell proliferation, but decreased pluripotent gene markers. In addition, MFN2 overexpression inhibited ESCs differentiation into the mesendoderm, while MFN2 silencing ESCs exhibited a normal cell morphology, slower cell proliferation and elevated pluripotency markers. For differentiation, MFN2 silencing ESCs exhibited enhanced three germs' differentiation ability. Moreover, the protein levels of phosphorylated Akt308 and Akt473 decreased in MFN2 silenced ESCs, and recovered in the neural differentiation process. When treated with the Akt inhibitor, the neural differentiation capacity of the MFN2 silenced ESCs can reverse to a normal level. Taken together, the data indicated that the appropriate level of MFN2 expression is essential for pluripotency and differentiation capacity in ESCs. The increased neural differentiation ability by MFN2 silencing is strongly related to the Akt signaling pathway.     

NLRC3 inhibits PDGF-induced PASMCs proliferation via PI3K-mTOR pathway

Few studies about nucleotide-oligomerization domain-like receptor subfamily C3 (NLRC3) in PASMCs have been conducted. This research aimed to investigate the role of NLRC3 on platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-induced proliferation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) and its underlying mechanism. We found that the proliferation of PASMCs stimulated with PDGF decreased when phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) or mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors pretreatment. Overexpression of NLRC3 inhibited the proliferation of PASMCs and the phosphorylation of PI3K and mTOR while knocking down NLRC3 reversed this effect. Targeted to PI3K or mTOR can also reverse the effect of NLRC3. Activation of PI3K increased the phosphorylation of mTOR while inhibition of PI3K reduced it. Our data suggest that PDGF can induce abnormal proliferation of PASMCs, and NLRC3 suppresses activation of the PI3K-mTOR signaling thus inhibits PASMCs proliferation. These findings unveiled the effect of NLRC3 as an inhibitor of the PI3K-mTOR pathway mediating protection against PASMCs proliferation.     

多酶组合催化制备L-高苯丙氨酸

【目的】L-高苯丙氨酸(L-HPA)是许多医药化学品的重要中间体,化学合成法生产L-HPA反应复杂、环境污染严重,本研究旨在开发高效环保的L-HPA酶法合成路线。【方法】采用模块化组装的方法,构建了一条以甘氨酸和苯乙醛为底物高产L-HPA的新途径。【结果】首先,根据文献挖掘设计了一条由苏氨酸醛缩酶(TA)、苏氨酸脱氨酶(TD)、苯丙氨酸脱氢酶(PheDH)和甲酸脱氢酶(FDH)组成的多酶组合催化途径,用于L-HPA的合成。其次,根据氨基基团的引入和重构,将L-HPA多酶组合催化途径分为基础单元和扩增单元,基础单元包括TA和TD,扩增单元包括PheDH和FDH。然后,利用不同表达水平的质粒,对基础单元和扩增单元进行蛋白表达的组合调节,获得最优工程菌BL21-C-M1-R-M2,使L-HPA产量达到208.6mg/L。最后,我们对全细胞转化体系进行优化,使L-HPA产量进一步提高到1226.6 mg/L,苯乙醛摩尔转化率为34.2%。【结论】该工艺路线绿色高效,为未来大规模生产L-HPA奠定基础。     

Dissecting the in vivo assembly of the 30S ribosomal subunit reveals the role of RimM and general features of the assembly process

Ribosome biogenesis is a tightly regulated, multi-stepped process. The assembly of ribosomal subunits is a central step of the complex biogenesis process, involving nearly 30 protein factors in vivo in bacteria. Although the assembly process has been extensively studied in vitro for over 40 years, very limited information is known for the in vivo process and specific roles of assembly factors. Such an example is ribosome maturation factor M (RimM), a factor involved in the late-stage assembly of the 30S subunit. Here, we combined quantitative mass spectrometry and cryo-electron microscopy to characterize the in vivo 30S assembly intermediates isolated from mutant Escherichia coli strains with genes for assembly factors deleted. Our compositional and structural data show that the assembly of the 3′-domain of the 30S subunit is severely delayed in these intermediates, featured with highly underrepresented 3′-domain proteins and large conformational difference compared with the mature 30S subunit. Further analysis indicates that RimM functions not only to promote the assembly of a few 3′-domain proteins but also to stabilize the rRNA tertiary structure. More importantly, this study reveals intriguing similarities and dissimilarities between the in vitro and the in vivo assembly pathways, suggesting that they are in general similar but with subtle differences.     

Thermal manipulation during the middle incubation stage has a repressive effect on the immune organ development of Peking ducklings

Avian embryos are easily influenced by their environment during incubation. Previous studies have demonstrated that incubation temperature changes could influence muscle development and body weight, which subsequently determine the adult phenotype. The objective of this study was to investigate whether the development of immune organs in ducklings could be influenced by thermal manipulation during the middle stage of incubation. To evaluate this hypothesis, a control group was incubated under a normal temperature from E11 to E24, while the incubation temperature of the experimental group was increased by 1 °C. Our results indicated that slight changes in the incubation temperature significantly repressed the bursa of Fabricius index of the duck embryo on E25 (F1, 58=122.51, P<0.0001) and significantly repressed the spleen index of neonatal ducklings (F1, 58=74.38, P<0.0001). At 0 day posthatching (dph) and 14 dph, ducklings hatched from eggs incubated under the higher temperature had a lower percentage of globulin than the control group (F1, 10=19.97, P=0.0111; F1, 10=9.8, P=0.0352). The IFN-γ concentration of ducklings at 14 dph displayed the same trend (F1, 10=284.49, P<0.0001). These results suggested that thermal manipulation during the middle stage of incubation had a repressive effect on the development of immune organs and reduced the concentrations of serum globulin and IFN-γ. These results demonstrated that the subtle alteration of incubation temperature may weaken ducklings' immunity.     

Inhibition of ROS-Activated p38MAPK Pathway is Involved in the Protective Effect of H2S Against Chemical Hypoxia-Induced Inflammation in PC12 Cells

We have demonstrated the neuroprotection of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) against chemical hypoxia-induced injury by inhibiting p38MAPK pathway. The present study attempts to evaluate the effect of H₂S on chemical hypoxia-induced inflammation responses and its mechanisms in PC12 cells. We found that treatment of PC12 cells with cobalt chloride (CoCl₂, a hypoxia mimetic agent) enhanced IL-6 secretion, nitric oxide (NO) generation and expression levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS). L-canavanine, a selective iNOS inhibitor, partly blocked CoCl₂-induced cytotoxicity, apoptosis and mitochondrial insult. In addition, 7-Nitroindazole (7-NI), an inhibitor of nNOS, also partly attenuated the CoCl₂-induced cytotoxicity. The inhibition of p38MAPK by SB203580 (a selective p38MAPK inhibitor) or genetic silencing of p38MAPK by RNAi (Si-p38) depressed not only CoCl₂-induced iNOS expression, NO production, but also IL-6 secretion. In addition, N-acetyl-l-cysteine, a reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger, conferred a similar protective effect of SB203580 or Si-p38 against CoCl₂-induced inflammatory responses. Importantly, pretreatment of PC12 cells with exogenous application of sodium hydrosulfide (a H₂S donor, 400 μmol/l) for 30 min before exposure to CoCl₂ markedly attenuated chemical hypoxia-stimulated iNOS and nNOS expression, NO generation and IL-6 secretion as well as p38MAPK phosphorylation in PC12 cells. Taken together, we demonstrated that p38MAPK-iNOS pathway contributes to chemical hypoxia-induced inflammation and that H₂S produces an anti-inflammatory effect in chemical hypoxia-stimulated PC12 cells, which may be partly due to inhibition of ROS-activated p38MAPK-iNOS pathway.     

Transactivation of Atg4b by C/EBPβ Promotes Autophagy To Facilitate Adipogenesis

Autophagy is a highly conserved self-digestion pathway involved in various physiological and pathophysiological processes. Recent studies have implicated a pivotal role of autophagy in adipocyte differentiation, but the molecular mechanism for its role and how it is regulated during this process are not clear. Here, we show that CCAAT /enhancer-binding protein β (C/EBPβ), an important adipogenic factor, is required for the activation of autophagy during 3T3-L1 adipocyte differentiation. An autophagy-related gene, Atg4b, is identified as a de novo target gene of C/EBPβ and is shown to play an important role in 3T3-L1 adipocyte differentiation. Furthermore, autophagy is required for the degradation of Klf2 and Klf3, two negative regulators of adipocyte differentiation, which is mediated by the adaptor protein p62/SQSTM1. Importantly, the regulation of autophagy by C/EBPβ and the role of autophagy in Klf2/3 degradation and in adipogenesis are further confirmed in mouse models. Our data describe a novel function of C/EBPβ in regulating autophagy and reveal the mechanism of autophagy during adipocyte differentiation. These new insights into the molecular mechanism of adipose tissue development provide a functional pathway with therapeutic potential against obesity and its related metabolic disorders.