RNF7 promotes glioma growth via the PI3K/AKT signalling axis

RNF7 has been reported to play critical roles in various cancers. However, the underlying mechanisms of RNF7 in glioma development remain largely unknown. Herein, the expression level of RNF7 was examined in tissues by quantitative real-time PCR, Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. The effect of RNF7 on glioma progression was measured by performing CCK-8 and apoptosis assays, cell cycle-related experiments and animal experiments. The effect of RNF7 on PI3K/AKT signalling pathway was tested by Western blotting. First, we found that RNF7 was upregulated in tumour tissue compared with normal brain tissue, especially in high-grade glioma, and the high expression of RNF7 was significantly related to tumour size, Karnofsky Performance Scale score and a poor prognosis. Second, RNF7 overexpression facilitated tumour cell cycle progression and cell proliferation and suppressed apoptosis. Conversely, RNF7 knockdown suppressed tumour cell cycle progression and cell proliferation and facilitated apoptosis. Furthermore, follow-up mechanistic studies indicated that RNF7 could facilitate glioma cell proliferation and cell cycle progression and inhibit apoptosis by activating the PI3K/AKT signalling pathway. This study shows that RNF7 can clearly promote glioma cell proliferation by facilitating cell cycle progression and inhibiting apoptosis by activating the PI3K/AKT signalling pathway. Targeting the RNF7/PI3K/AKT axis may provide a new perspective on the prevention or treatment of glioma.     

Arrest of cell cycle progression of HeLa cells in the early G1 phase in K+-depleted conditions and its recovery upon addition of insulin and LDL

Cell cycle progression of synchronized HeLa cells was studied by measuring labeling of the nuclei with [³H]thymidine. The progression was arrested in a chemically defined medium in which K⁺ was replaced by Rb⁺ (Rb-CDM) but was restored upon addition of insulin and/or low density lipoprotein (LDL). Cells started DNA synthesis 12 hr after addition of insulin and/or LDL, regardless of the time of arrest, suggesting their arrest early in the G1 phase. After incubation of cells in Rb-CDM containing insulin or LDL singly for 3, 6, or 9 hr, replacement of the medium by that without an addition resulted in marked delay in entry of cells into the S phase, but in its replacement by medium containing both agents, the delay was insignificant. Synthesis of bulk protein, estimated as increase in the cell volume, was not strongly inhibited. From these results we conclude that cell cycle progression of HeLa cells in K^?-depleted CDM is arrested early in the G1 phase and that the arrest is due to lack of some protein(s) required for entry into the S phase that is synthesized in the early G1 phase.     

Transgenic modifications of silkworms as a means to obtain therapeutic biomolecules and protein fibers with exceptional properties

Transgenic modification of Bombyx mori silkworms is a benign approach for the production of silk fibers with extraordinary properties and also to generate therapeutic proteins and other biomolecules for various applications. Silk fibers with fluorescence lasting more than a year, natural protein fibers with strength and toughness exceeding that of spider silk, proteins and therapeutic biomolecules with exceptional properties have been developed using transgenic technology. The transgenic modifications have been done primarily by modifying the silk sericin and fibroin genes and also the silk producing glands. Although the genetic modifications were typically performed using the sericin 1 and other genes, newer techniques such as CRISPR/Cas9 have enabled successful modifications of both the fibroin H-chain and L-chain. Such modifications have led to the production of therapeutic proteins and other biomolecules in reasonable quantities at affordable costs for tissue engineering and other medical applications. Transgenically modified silkworms also have distinct and long-lasting fluorescence useful for bioimaging applications. This review presents an overview of the transgenic techniques for modifications of B. mori silkworms and the properties obtained due to such modifications with particular focus on production of growth factors, fluorescent proteins, and high performance protein fibers.     

Reduced Application of Nitrogen Fertilizer Affects the Carbon Metabolism of Leaves and Maintains the Number of Flowers in Coreopsis tinctoria

This study examined the effects of nitrogen (N) fertilizer reduction on the carbon (C) metabolism and yield of Coreopsis tinctoria. A two-year (2020–2021) hydroponic experiment was conducted in accordance with a randomized complete group design with five N levels [0.875 mM Ca(NO₃)₂ (N1), 1.750 mM Ca(NO₃)₂ (N2), 3.500 mM Ca(NO₃)₂ (N3), 7.000 mM Ca(NO₃)₂ (N4), and 14.000 mM Ca(NO₃)₂ (N5)] and three replications. The results showed that low N significantly affected the functional leaf weight, C metabolism, and flower bud (or flower) numbers of C. tinctoria at harvest. Lower-N levels, especially those of the N2 treatment, significantly increased Rubisco, sucrose synthase (SS), sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS), soluble acid invertase (SAI), glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGDH) activity and maintained the flower number of C. tinctoria. In addition, the balance of carbohydrates (sucrose, starch, glucose, and fructose) and ATP contents was more efficiently maintained under relatively low-N levels. These findings might suggest that reduced application of N fertilizer affects the C metabolism of leaves and maintains the number of flowers in Coreopsis tinctoria. Applying relatively low-N fertilizer levels is also a promising cultivation strategy for C. tinctoria.

     

Terpenoids and Their Possible Role in Defense Against a Fungal Pathogen Alternaria tenuissima in Chrysanthemum morifolium Cultivars

Journal of Plant Growth Regulation - Terpenoids are a class of structurally diverse natural products involved in various plant biological processes. Their primary function is believed to provide...     

Partition of proteins in aqueous two-phase systems containing charged dextran or hydrophobic PEG

Summary The electrochemical effect of a charged dextran derivative and the hydrophobic effect of hydrophobic chain PEG derivative on partitioning of six types of proteins in PEG/dextran aqueous two-phase systems were investigated- When 1. 6%(w/w)DEAE-dextran was present in the system,the partition coefficient decreased quickly with increasing pH value;when 0. 4% (w/w)PEG pentadecanoic acid ester was present in the system, the partition coefficient of protein with strong hydrophobicity was greatly increased. The experimental results show that the influence of hydrocarbon chain PEG derivative on partition coefficient is closely related to the hydrophobicity of proteins.     

别藻蓝蛋白藻蓝胆素发色团分子构象研究

主要研究了蓝绿藻污棕席藻(Phormidium luridum)别藻蓝蛋白在不同 pH值条件下的吸收光谱和共振拉曼光谱.发现低聚化的结果导致了三聚体别藻蓝蛋白 650nm 特征吸收峰的消失和一些共振拉曼带强度和位置的移动.结果表明在低 pH 值作用下的低聚化的别藻蓝蛋白中藻蓝胆素发色团分子的构象和自由胆素分子类似,比三聚体的别藻蓝蛋白的发色团分子更趋于卷曲,折叠的构象态.而三聚体的别藻蓝蛋白,主要的拉曼带 1645cm^-1是其发色团分子构象处于更线性延展的标志,其光谱行为和吸收光谱 A_vis/A_uv所表征的发色团分子构象的结果相一致.     

异育银鲫及其人工杂合种外源遗传物质的检测分析

采用 DNA 杂交的方法,对异育银鲫及其人工杂合种进行了外源 DNA 的检测分析,发现两个雌核发育系的异育银鲫及其人工杂合种的 DNA 与红鲤 DNA 片段间的分子杂交均有阳性斑点出现,这表明,在异育银鲫及其人工杂合种产生过程中,父本(红鲤)的 DNA 片段的确可以随机地掺入到母本细胞的 DNA 中,从而产生了异精效应,使其子代生长加快,并出现父本性状。     

柑橘大实蝇精巢、精泵和精泵内骨骼的生长发育状况

【目的】柑橘大实蝇是一种严重为害柑橘类果实的经济害虫。研究其精巢、精泵以及精泵内骨骼生长发育状况,有助于提高柑橘大实蝇人工繁殖效率以及其田间防治效果,为柑橘大实蝇的预测预报及防治提供理论基础。【方法】基于光学显微镜测量恒温和室温条件下柑橘大实蝇雄虫的精巢、精泵以及精泵内骨骼的长度和宽度,并建立其长度、宽度和指数的函数模型,比较恒温和室温2种饲养条件下其雄虫器官发育状况差异。【结果】无论是在恒温还是室温条件下饲养,随着柑橘大实蝇雄成虫日龄的增加,其精巢、精泵以及精泵内骨骼的长度、宽度和指数变化趋势均符合幂函数增长模型。在恒温和室温条件下,其雄虫的精巢宽度、精泵的长度和宽度以及指数、精泵内骨骼宽度均无明显差异。在室温条件下饲养的雄虫的精巢长度[(4.00±0.14) mm]及指数(3.40±0.14)、精泵内骨骼长度[(1.65±0.03) mm]及指数(1.84±0.08)均分别显著高于在恒温条件下饲养的雄虫的精巢长度[(3.75±0.13) mm]及指数(3.19±0.14)、精泵内骨骼长度[(1.61±0.03) mm]及指数(1.77±0.08)。【结论】变温(室温)比恒温更有利于柑橘大实蝇雄虫的精巢和精泵内骨骼的发育,并推荐使用精泵长度推断其雄虫日龄的方法。     

Butanol Extract of Acanthopanax senticosus (Rupr. et Maxim.) Harms Alleviates Atherosclerosis in Apolipoprotein E-Deficient Mice Fed a High-Fat Diet

This study investigated the effect of butanol extract of AS (ASBUE) on atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE^−/−) mice. The mice were administered ASBUE (390 or 130 mg/kg/day) or rosuvastatin (RSV) via oral gavage for eight weeks. In ApoE^−/− mice, ASBUE suppressed the abnormal body weight gain and improved serum and liver biochemical indicators. ASBUE remarkably reduced the aortic plaque area, improved liver pathological conditions, and lipid metabolism abnormalities, and altered the intestinal microbiota structure in ApoE^−/− mice. In the vascular tissue of ASBUE-treated mice, P-IKKβ, P-NFκB, and P-IκBα levels tended to decrease, while IκB-α increased in high fat-diet-fed atherosclerotic mice. These findings demonstrated the anti-atherosclerotic potential of ASBUE, which is mediated by the interaction between the gut microbiota and lipid metabolism and regulated via the Nuclear Factor-kappa B (NF-κB) pathway. This work paves the groundwork for subsequent studies to develop innovative drugs to treat atherosclerosis.