Influence of chk1 and plk1 silencing on radiation- or cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity in human malignant cells

The G2/M checkpoint is an attractive pathway for targeting and sensitizing tumor cells to cancer treatment. Abrogation of the G2/M checkpoint by targeting molecules, such as checkpoint kinase 1 (chk1), increases DNA breakage and sensitizes tumor cells to anti-tumoral agents. However, most of the previously described G2/M abrogators are actually targeting the G2-M border checkpoints rather than mitotic checkpoints. This prompted us to test the effects of combined targeting of chk1 and a critical regulator of mitosis, polo-like kinase 1 (plk1). Chk1 and plk1 were found to be co-expressed in 70% of primary neoplastic tissues we examined. Asynchronized tumor cells were treated with different DNA damaging-agents to activate G1/S, S or G2/M checkpoints. Either chk1 or plk1-specific antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (ASODN) enhanced DNA damaging agent-induced apoptosis. When used in combination, however, chk1- plus plk1-specific ASODN failed to produce synergistic effects. Moreover, selective targeting of plk1 or chk1 in tumor xenografts of mice by oncolytic adenovirus mutants demonstrated potent anti-tumoral efficacy in the presence of low dose cisplatin. Again, combined targeting of chk1 and plk1 did not further enhance anti-tumoral efficacy. We concluded that combined targeting of chk1 and plk1 was not superior to either targeting chk1 or plk1 alone, which suggested that chk1 and plk1 silencing might overlap in their mechanism of action. Whether combined targeting of chk1 with other, more specific mitotic regulators would synergistically sensitize tumor to anti-neoplastic therapeutics needs to be further clarified. Qinglei Gao and Xiaoyuan Huang contributed equally to this work.     

An engineered human IgG1 antibody with longer serum half-life

The serum half-life of IgG Abs is regulated by the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn). By binding to FcRn in endosomes, IgG Abs are salvaged from lysosomal degradation and recycled to the circulation. Several studies have demonstrated a correlation between the binding affinity of IgG Abs to FcRn and their serum half-lives in mice, including engineered Ab fragments with longer serum half-lives. Our recent study extended this correlation to human IgG2 Ab variants in primates. In the current study, several human IgG1 mutants with increased binding affinity to human FcRn at pH 6.0 were generated that retained pH-dependent release. A pharmacokinetics study in rhesus monkeys of one of the IgG1 variants indicated that its serum half-life was approximately 2.5-fold longer than the wild-type Ab. Ag binding was unaffected by the Fc mutations, while several effector functions appeared to be minimally altered. These properties suggest that engineered Abs with longer serum half-lives may prove to be effective therapeutics in humans.     

特异性人端粒酶催化亚单位基因小干扰RNA对HeLa细胞生长的抑制作用

通过设计并化学合成人端粒酶催化亚单位(hTERT)特异性siRNA,观察其对hTERT表达水平及肿瘤细胞生长的影响。将hTERT-siRNA以脂质体法转染入HeLa细胞,应用RT-PCR、实时定量TRAP、Western印迹、软琼脂克隆形成实验、荷瘤裸鼠肿瘤内注射等方法检测细胞内hTERTmRNA、蛋白质表达水平及对肿瘤细胞生长的影响。RT-PCR、实时定量TRAP和Western印迹的结果显示hTERT-siRNA明显降低了HeLa细胞内hTERT的mRNA及蛋白质表达水平并伴随有端粒酶活性的下降。克隆形成实验表明hTERT-siRNA组的体外肿瘤形成能力受到抑制。荷瘤裸鼠肿瘤内注射hTERT-siRNA使肿瘤平均体积显著小于对照组。TUNEL凋亡检测表明hTERT-siRNA转染组的凋亡率明显高于对照组。研究表明hTERT特异性siRNA可以明显抑制HeLa细胞内hTERT的表达水平,对其生长有明显抑制作用,是一种有前途的肿瘤治疗新方法。     

Evaluation of manometric temperature measurement (MTM), a process analytical technology tool in freeze drying, part III: Heat and mass transfer measurement

This article evaluates the procedures for determining the vial heat transfer coefficient and the extent of primary drying through manometric temperature measurement (MTM). The vial heat transfer coefficients (K_v) were calculated from the MTM-determined temperature and resistance and compared with K_v values determined by a gravimetric method. The differences between the MTM vial heat transfer coefficients and the gravimetric values are large at low shelf temperature but smaller when higher shelf temperatures were used. The differences also became smaller at higher chamber pressure and smaller when higher resistance materials were being freeze-dried. In all cases, using thermal shields greatly improved the accuracy of the MTM K_v measurement. With use of thermal shields, the thickness of the frozen layer calculated from MTM is in good agreement with values obtained gravimetrically. The heat transfer coefficient “error” is largely a direct result of the error in the dry layer resistance (ie, MTM-determined resistance is too low). This problem can be minimized if thermal shields are used for freeze-drying. With suitable use of thermal shields, accurate K_v values are obtained by MTM; thus allowing accurate calculations of heat and mass flow rates. The extent of primary drying can be monitored by real-time calculation of the amount of remaining ice using MTM data, thus providing a process analytical tool that greatly improves the freeze-drying process design and control.     

Characteristics of soil fauna community in the Dongjiao coconut plantation ecosystem in Hainan, China

From July 2002 to July 2004, we investigated the soil fauna in the Dongjiao coconut plantation of Hainan Island. A total of 5,378 specimens were obtained. These species represented 4 phyla, 12 classes and 27 genera. The soil animal clusters are as follows: All major animal groups presented in a tropical rain forest are present in Dongjiao coconut plantation's soil community. The Dongjiao coconut plantation demonstrated the typical characteristics of a tropical soil animal community. The number of species and the diversity index (H) increase from the high latitude areas toward the equator; The dominance index (C) decreased from the high latitude areas toward the equator; the ratio of Acarina/Collembola and the percentage occurrence of increase along the declination of latitude; the occurrence of termites, a typical member of tropical community, varies from absent to present and a dramatic increase along the declination of latitude. Compared to primary tropical rainforests, the Dongjian coconut plantation community is relatively low in species diversity, and has a high dominance index and low diversity index. This may partially due to some characters of the plantation: singular tree species, monsoon climate, seashore location, high pH and salinity of the soil, soil moisture and other environmental factors. A seasonal change occurs in the community structure but is not obvious. Soil around human residences has a higher organic material content, and has higher counts of specimens and numbers of species, compared to other three sampling sites. Coconut production at locations around human residences is higher than at any other microhabitats. The high production is positively correlated with the richness of animal community in the soil.     

Polygenic Analysis of Late-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease from Mainland China

Recently, a number of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified to be associated with late-onset Alzheimer disease (LOAD) through genome-wide association study data. Identification of SNP-SNP interaction played an important role in better understanding genetic basis of LOAD. In this study, fifty-eight SNPs were screened in a cohort of 229 LOAD cases and 318 controls from mainland China, and their interaction was evaluated by a series of analysis methods. Seven risk SNPs and six protective SNPs were identified to be associated with LOAD. Risk SNPs included rs9331888 (CLU), rs6691117 (CR1), rs4938933 (MS4A), rs9349407 (CD2AP), rs1160985 (TOMM40), rs4945261 (GAB2) and rs5984894 (PCDH11X); Protective SNPs consisted of rs744373 (BIN1), rs1562990 (MS4A), rs597668 (EXOC3L2), rs9271192 (HLA-DRB5/DRB1), rs157581 and rs11556505 (TOMM40). Among positive SNPs presented above, we found the interaction between rs4938933 (risk) and rs1562990 (protective) in MS4A weakened their each effect for LOAD; for three significant SNPs in TOMM40, their cumulative interaction induced the two protective SNPs effects lost and made the risk SNP effect aggravate for LOAD. Finally, we found rs6656401-rs3865444 (CR1-CD33) pairs were significantly associated with decreasing LOAD risk, while rs28834970-rs6656401 (PTK2B-CR1), and rs28834970-rs6656401 (PTK2B-CD33) were associated with increasing LOAD risk. In a word, our study indicates that SNP-SNP interaction existed in the same gene or cross different genes, which could weaken or aggravate their initial single effects for LOAD.     

Serum LncRNAs Profiles Serve as Novel Potential Biomarkers for the Diagnosis of HBV-Positive Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignancy that has a poor prognosis because there is lack of methods for early diagnosis. We aimed to utilize two serum long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), uc001ncr and {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"AX800134","term_id":"37653391"}}AX800134, to diagnose hepatitis B virus (HBV)–positive HCC.

Methods

lncRNA microarrays were utilized to measure the differential expression of lncRNAs between tumor tissues and corresponding non-tumor tissues in HBV-positive hapatocellular carcinoma. uc001ncr and {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"AX800134","term_id":"37653391"}}AX800134 were selected as candidate lncRNAs and detected in three independent cohorts containing a total of 684 participants (healthy individuals and chronic HBV patients and HBV-positive HCC patients) who were recruited between March 2011 and December 2012. A logistic regression model was constructed using a training cohort (n = 353) and validated using an independent cohort (n = 181). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was utilized to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy.

Results

We determined that a panel based on the expression of uc001ncr and {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"AX800134","term_id":"37653391"}}AX800134 accurately diagnosed HBV-positive HCC (AUC values of 0.9494 and 0.9491 for the training and validation cohorts, respectively). The diagnostic performance of the panel remained high in patients with AFP≤400 ng/ml (AUC values of 0.9371 and 0.9527 for the training and validation cohorts, respectively). The panel also diagnosed early HCC (AUC values of 0.9450 and 0.9564 for the training and validation cohorts, respectively).

Conclusion

Our results indicated that the serum expression of uc001ncr and {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"AX800134","term_id":"37653391"}}AX800134 has potential as novel potential biomarker for the diagnosis of HCC, especially in patients with AFP≤400 ng/ml or early-stage disease (BCLC 0+A).     

A transcriptome‐wide study on the microRNA‐ and the Argonaute 1‐enriched small RNA‐mediated regulatory networks involved in plant leaf senescence

Leaf senescence is an important physiological process during the plant life cycle. However, systemic studies on the impact of microRNAs (miRNAs) on the expression of senescence‐associated genes (SAGs) are lacking. Besides, whether other Argonaute 1 (AGO1)‐enriched small RNAs (sRNAs) play regulatory roles in leaf senescence remains unclear. In this study, a total of 5,123 and 1,399 AGO1‐enriched sRNAs, excluding miRNAs, were identified in Arabidopsis thaliana and rice (Oryza sativa), respectively. After retrieving SAGs from the Leaf Senescence Database, all of the AGO1‐enriched sRNAs and the miRBase‐registered miRNAs of these two plants were included for target identification. Supported by degradome signatures, 200 regulatory pairs involving 120 AGO1‐enriched sRNAs and 40 SAGs, and 266 regulatory pairs involving 64 miRNAs and 42 SAGs were discovered in Arabidopsis. Moreover, 13 genes predicted to interact with some of the above‐identified target genes at protein level were validated as regulated by 17 AGO1‐enriched sRNAs and ten miRNAs in Arabidopsis. In rice, only one SAG was targeted by three AGO1‐enriched sRNAs, and one SAG was targeted by miR395. However, five AGO1‐enriched sRNAs were conserved between Arabidopsis and rice. Target genes conserved between the two plants were identified for three of the above five sRNAs, pointing to the conserved roles of these regulatory pairs in leaf senescence or other developmental procedures. Novel targets were discovered for three of the five AGO1‐enriched sRNAs in rice, indicating species‐specific functions of these sRNA–target pairs. These results could advance our understanding of the sRNA‐involved molecular processes modulating leaf senescence.