Plasma glycoprotein profiling for colorectal cancer biomarker identification by lectin glycoarray and lectin blot

Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a major worldwide cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality largely due to the insidious onset of the disease. The current clinical procedures utilized for disease diagnosis are invasive, unpleasant, and inconvenient; hence, the need for simple blood tests that could be used for the early detection of CRC. In this work, we have developed methods for glycoproteomics analysis to identify plasma markers with utility to assist in the detection of colorectal cancer (CRC). Following immunodepletion of the most abundant plasma proteins, the plasma N -linked glycoproteins were enriched using lectin affinity chromatography and subsequently further separated by nonporous silica reversed-phase (NPS-RP)-HPLC. Individual RP-HPLC fractions were printed on nitrocellulose coated slides which were then probed with lectins to determine glycan patterns in plasma samples from 9 normal, 5 adenoma, and 6 colorectal cancer patients. Statistical tools, including principal component analysis, hierarchical clustering, and Z-statistics analysis, were employed to identify distinctive glycosylation patterns. Patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer or adenomas were shown to have dramatically higher levels of sialylation and fucosylation as compared to normal controls. Plasma glycoproteins with aberrant glycosylation were identified by nano-LC-MS/MS, while a lectin blotting methodology was used to validate proteins with significantly altered glycosylation as a function of cancer progression. The potential markers identified in this study for diagnosis to distinguish colorectal cancer from adenoma and normal include elevated sialylation and fucosylation in complement C3, histidine-rich glycoprotein, and kininogen-1. These potential markers of colorectal cancer were subsequently validated by lectin blotting in an independent set of plasma samples obtained from 10 CRC patients, 10 patients with adenomas, and 10 normal subjects. These results demonstrate the utility of this strategy for the identification of N -linked glycan patterns as potential markers of CRC in human plasma, and may have the utility to distinguish different disease states.     

Nuclear retention of the lncRNA SNHG1 by doxorubicin attenuates hnRNPC–p53 protein interactions

The protein p53 plays a crucial role in the regulation of cellular responses to diverse stresses. Thus, a major priority in cell biology is to define the mechanisms that regulate p53 activity in response to stresses or maintain it at basal levels under normal conditions. Moreover, further investigation is required to establish whether RNA participates in regulating p53's interaction with other proteins. Here, by conducting systematic experiments, we discovered a p53 interactor—hnRNPC—that directly binds to p53, destabilizes it, and prevents its activation under normal conditions. Upon doxorubicin treatment, the lncRNA SNHG1 is retained in the nucleus through its binding with nucleolin and it competes with p53 for hnRNPC binding, which upregulates p53 levels and promotes p53‐dependent apoptosis by impairing hnRNPC regulation of p53 activity. Our results indicate that a balance between lncRNA SNHG1 and hnRNPC regulates p53 activity and p53‐dependent apoptosis upon doxorubicin treatment, and further indicate that a change in lncRNA subcellular localization under specific circumstances is biologically significant.     

Targeting of focal adhesion kinase by small interfering RNAs reduces chondrocyte redifferentiation capacity in alginate beads culture with type II collagen

Type II collagen is a major protein that maintains biological and mechanical characteristics in articular cartilage. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is known to play a central role in integrin signaling of cell–extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions, and chondrocyte–type II collagen interactions are very important for cartilage homeostasis. In this study, we focused on phosphorylation of FAK and MAP kinase in chondrocyte–type II collagen interaction and dedifferentiation, and the effects of FAK knockdown on chondrocyte‐specific gene expression and cell proliferation were determined. The addition of exogenous type II collagen to chondrocytes increased levels of tyrosine phosphorylation, p‐FAK_Y397, and p‐ERK1/2. In contrast, expression levels of p‐FAK_Y397 and p‐ERK1/2, but not p‐Smad2/3, were decreased in dedifferentiated chondrocytes with loss of type II collagen expression. Type II collagen expression was significantly increased when dedifferentiated chondrocytes were transferred to alginate beads with TGF‐β1 or type II collagen, but transfected cells with small interfering RNA for FAK (FAK‐siRNA) inhibited mRNA expression of type II collagen and SOX‐6 compared to the control. These FAK‐siRNA‐transfected cells could not recover type II collagen even in the presence of TGF‐β1 or type II collagen in alginate beads culture. We also found that FAK‐siRNA‐transfected cells decreased cell proliferation rate, but there was no effect on glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) secretion. We suggest that FAK is essentially required in chondrocyte communication with type II collagen by regulating type II collagen expression and cell proliferation. J. Cell. Physiol. 218: 623–630, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

硫素对不同大豆品种成熟期AM真菌群落多样性的影响

研究硫素对不同大豆品种成熟期丛枝菌根（arbuscular mycorrhizal,AM）真菌群落多样性的影响,探索有利于提高3个特定大豆品种根围土壤和根系AM真菌多样性的最佳施硫量,为提高大豆产量和改善大豆品质提供理论依据。试验采用盆栽,选用黑农44（HN44）、黑农48（HN48）、黑农37（HN37）3个大豆品种作为试验材料,设4个硫素处理S1（对照）,S2（0.02g/kg）,S3（0.04g/kg）和S4（0.06g/kg）。采用PCR-DGGE技术分析3个大豆品种根围土壤和根系中AM真菌群落多样性。结果表明：在S2处理下HN37和HN44根围土壤和根系AM真菌多样性最高,而在S3处理下HN48根围土壤和根系AM真菌多样性最高;DGGE图谱中各样品优势种群变化显著,球囊霉属Glomus和柄囊霉属Funneliformis真菌为3个大豆品种根围土壤和根系中AM真菌的优势菌群。由此可见,硫素对不同大豆品种根围土壤和根系AM真菌群落多样性有显著影响,适量施硫能够提高大豆根围土壤和根系中AM真菌的多样性,不施或过高施硫反而抑制AM真菌的多样性。     

放线菌来源活性天然产物发现研究进展

放线菌(Actinomycetes)是抗生素等活性天然产物的重要来源，在临床治疗病原菌感染等重大疾病方面发挥着重要作用。由于抗生素滥用等原因导致临床上出现的以耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌(methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA)等为代表的耐药病菌的种类和数量急剧增加，对人类生存造成了重大威胁。结合现代生物技术进展，加大放线菌来源新抗生素的开发力度刻不容缓。本文对新时期放线菌来源抗生素的发现现状、基于生理操作和基因操作的放线菌来源天然产物挖掘的技术方法等进行综述，以期对放线菌来源活性天然产物的发现提供借鉴。     

基质辅助激光解析电离飞行时间质谱在医学真菌领域的应用进展

基质辅助激光解析电离飞行时间质谱（matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry,MALDI-TOF MS）是近年来新兴的微生物检测技术,通过核糖体蛋白分析实现对真菌快速、准确鉴定。本文针对MALDI-TOF MS用于致病真菌鉴定、分类、体外抗真菌药物敏感性检测以及临床微生物样本直接检测等方面作一综述。     

基于微流控芯片的温度梯度毛细管电泳检测大肠癌石蜡标本中K-ras基因突变

K-ras基因突变检测可用于大肠癌的早期筛查与诊断,并有利于筛选出抗表皮生长因子受体靶向药物治疗有效的大肠癌患者,以实现肿瘤的个体化治疗．采用以倾斜式热辐射原理建立的微流控温度梯度毛细管电泳(temperature gradient capillary electrophoresis,TGCE)基因突变检测系统,实现了对98例石蜡包埋大肠癌组织中K-ras基因突变的高灵敏度筛查,突变阳性检出率为47.96%,显著高于PCR产物直接测序的23.47%．克隆测序显示该方法至少能检测到2.08%的K-ras基因突变体．K-ras基因突变与临床病理学参数的关系分析显示,直肠癌中K-ras基因突变率明显高于结肠癌(P < 0.05),而与年龄、性别、组织学类型和肿瘤分期等无显著相关性．该检测方法为肿瘤早期诊断和指导临床用药提供了一种灵敏度高、检测速度快、便于大规模筛查的有效手段.     

中期因子在相关疾病发病机制和治疗中的研究进展

中期因子(Midkine,MK),是一种分泌型肝素结合性生长因子,具有促进细胞有丝分裂、诱导细胞恶化、促进微血管生成、抑制细胞凋亡、促进炎症介质趋化、促纤溶等功能特点;经研究发现,当机体处于健康状态时中期因子除了肾脏及小肠上皮少量表达,其他部位极少表达,但机体出现疾病时,中期因子在体内的表达明显增多,如在多种恶性肿瘤、动脉粥样硬化、各类炎症、糖尿病肾病、高血压及COPD等疾病中均监测到中期因子的高表达,进一步研究发现上述疾病的发生发展与中期因子的功能特点密切相关;近年有学者利用MK在疾病发生发展中的功能特点对疾病进行治疗,特别是MK在肿瘤领域的治疗已成为研究热点,本文结合国内外的最新研究现状就MK与相关疾病的发病机制及治疗作一简要概述,并提出进一步研究的设想。