UHRF1 is regulated by miR-124-3p and promotes cell proliferation in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

Ubiquitin-like with PHD and ring finger domains 1 (UHRF1) is abnormally overexpressed in multiple cancers and closely correlated with tumor-promoting effects, such as high proliferation. However, how UHRF1 functions in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) has not yet been determined. Herein, we found that UHRF1 is overexpressed in ICC tissues. Downregulated UHRF1 attenuated the transition of the G1/S cell cycle and then suppressed cell proliferation in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. Moreover, upstream regulators of the UHRF1 expression were predicted, and we found that direct binding of miR-124-3p inhibited the UHRF1 expression. Elevated miR-124-3p suppressed proliferation and led to the arrest of the cell cycle. Furthermore, the expression of UHRF1 was positively correlated with PCNA. Clinically, we showed that elevated UHRF1 was associated with poor prognosis, and served as an independent prognostic factor in ICC patients. Together, these findings demonstrate that UHRF1, regulated by miR-124-3p, acts as a tumor promoter by promoting cell proliferation in ICC.     

奇古菌亚硝酸盐还原酶基因相似基因的多样性

摘要:【目的】氨氧化古菌(Ammonia-oxidizing archaea,AOA)是奇古菌门中的唯一类群,广泛分布于各个生态系统中,对氮素生物地球化学循环起着重要作用。亚硝酸还原酶是反硝化作用的关键酶,目前关于AOA反硝化作用的研究较少,对AOA 亚硝酸盐还原酶基因多样性的研究有利于揭示AOA在反硝化中的作用。【方法】本研究以水体、沉积物和土壤为研究对象,构建了奇古菌样的nirK基因克隆文库,研究了这些环境中nirK相似基因的多样性。【结果】对奇古菌样的nirK基因文库及其序列分析表明:湖水及其沉积物的 nirK基因克隆文库得到10个OTUs,菜田土壤和水样则有8个OTUs;系统发育进化树表明这些nirK氨基酸序列和Candidatus Nitrosopumilus koreensis AR1,Nitrosopumilus maritimus SCM1最为相似,但相似度较低(53%－68%)。克隆文库多样性指数分析表明:所有样品都存在不同类型的nirK基因,水体样品nirK基因类型的多样性和均匀度高于土壤样品,菜田土壤的nirK基因类型多样性最高,分布最均匀。【结论】本研究表明土壤和淡水环境中奇古菌门nirK基因也具有较高的多样性,并且这些基因型与海洋样品差异非常大,这些基因编码的亚硝酸盐还原酶可能对这些环境中的反硝化作用有重要意义。     

Association between the AUC0-24/MIC Ratio of Vancomycin and Its Clinical Effectiveness: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background

A target AUC_0-24/MIC ratio of 400 has been associated with its clinical success when treating Staphylococcus aureus infections but is not currently supported by state-of-the-art evidence-based research.

Objective

This current systematic review aimed to evaluate the available evidence for the association between the AUC_0-24/MIC ratio of vancomycin and its clinical effectiveness on hospitalized patients and to confirm the existing target value of 400.

Methods

PubMed, Embase, Web of Sciences, the Cochrane Library and two Chinese literature databases (CNKI, CBM) were systematically searched. Manual searching was also applied. Both RCTs and observational studies comparing the clinical outcomes of high AUC_0-24/MIC groups versus low AUC_0-24/MIC groups were eligible. Two reviewers independently extracted the data. The primary outcomes were mortality and infection treatment failure. Risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) were calculated.

Results

No RCTs were retrieved. Nine cohort studies were included in the meta-analysis. Mortality rates were significantly lower in high AUC_0-24/MIC groups (RR = 0.47, 95%CI = 0.31–0.70, p<0.001). The rates of infection treatment failure were also significantly lower in high AUC/MIC groups and were consistent after correcting for heterogeneity (RR = 0.39, 95%CI = 0.28–0.55, p = 0.001). Subgroup analyses showed that results were consistent whether MIC values were determined by broth microdilution (BMD) method or Etest method. In studies using the BMD method, breakpoints of AUC_0-24/MIC all fell within 85% to 115% of 400.

Conclusions

This meta-analysis demonstrated that achieving a high AUC_0-24/MIC of vancomycin could significantly decrease mortality rates by 53% and rates of infection treatment failure by 61%, with 400 being a reasonable target.     

Angelman Syndrome Protein Ube3a Regulates Synaptic Growth and Endocytosis by Inhibiting BMP Signaling in Drosophila

Altered expression of the E3 ubiquitin ligase UBE3A, which is involved in protein degradation through the proteasome-mediated pathway, is associated with neurodevelopmental and behavioral defects observed in Angelman syndrome (AS) and autism. However, little is known about the neuronal function of UBE3A and the pathogenesis of UBE3A-associated disorders. To understand the in vivo function of UBE3A in the nervous system, we generated multiple mutations of ube3a, the Drosophila ortholog of UBE3A. We found a significantly increased number of total boutons and satellite boutons in conjunction with compromised endocytosis in the neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) of ube3a mutants compared to the wild type. Genetic and biochemical analysis showed upregulation of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling in the nervous system of ube3a mutants. An immunochemical study revealed a specific increase in the protein level of Thickveins (Tkv), a type I BMP receptor, but not other BMP receptors Wishful thinking (Wit) and Saxophone (Sax), in ube3a mutants. Ube3a was associated with and specifically ubiquitinated lysine 227 within the cytoplasmic tail of Tkv, and promoted its proteasomal degradation in Schneider 2 cells. Negative regulation of Tkv by Ube3a was conserved in mammalian cells. These results reveal a critical role for Ube3a in regulating NMJ synapse development by repressing BMP signaling. This study sheds new light onto the neuronal functions of UBE3A and provides novel perspectives for understanding the pathogenesis of UBE3A-associated disorders.     

MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF AUTOPHAGY‐RELATED GENE 5 FROM Spodoptera exigua AND EXPRESSION ANALYSIS UNDER VARIOUS STRESS CONDITIONS

Autophagy is not only involved in development, but also has been proved to attend immune response against invading pathogens. Autophagy protein 5 (ATG5) is an important autophagic protein, which plays a crucial role in autophagosome elongation. Although ATG5 has been well studied in mammal, yeast, and Drosophila, little is known about ATG5 in lepidopteran insects. We cloned putative SeAtg5 gene from Spodoptera exigua larvae by the rapid amplification of cDNA ends method, and its characteristics and the influences of multiple exogenous factors on its expression levels were then investigated. The results showed that the putative S. exigua SeATG5 protein is highly homologous to other insect ATG5 proteins, which has a conserved Pfm domain and multiple phosphorylation sites. Next, fluorescence microscope observation showed that mCherry‐SeATG5 was distributed in both nucleus and cytoplasm of Spodoptera litura Sl‐HP cells and partially co‐localized with BmATG6‐GFP, but it almost has no significant co‐localization with GFP‐HaATG8. Then, the Western blot analysis demonstrated that GFP‐SeATG5 conjugated with ATG12. Moreover, real‐time PCR revealed that its expression levels significantly increased at the initiation of pupation and the stage of adult. In addition, the expression levels of SeAtg5 can be enhanced by the starvation, UV radiation, and infection of baculovirus and bacterium. However, the expression levels of SeAtg5 decreased at 24 h post treatments in all these treatments except in starvation. These results suggested that SeATG5 might be involved in response of S. exigua under various stress conditions.     

重组人心房利钠肽 (ANP) 的原核表达、纯化及鉴定

为提高重组人心房利钠肽(Atrial natriuretic peptide,ANP)的表达量,将3个ANP通过赖氨酸(Lysine,K)串联,并构建相对应的重组表达载体p ET28a(+)/ANP3。转染大肠杆菌进行诱导表达,目的蛋白约占菌体总蛋白的60%。经过包涵体变复性,赖氨酸酶(Lys-C)和羧肽酶(CPB)水解,以及一系列层析纯化,每升培养液可获得约16 mg的ANP蛋白。最终,纯化后的ANP经UPLC及Tricine SDS-PAGE鉴定,纯度大于90%,LC-MS鉴定显示其分子量为3 080 Da,且为二硫键正确形成的ANP单体,通过ELISA试剂盒检测,其具有和参比品一致活性。本研究为ANP的大规模制备打下了基础。同时,所采用的串联表达技术也为其他多肽类药物的重组表达提供了新的思路。     

Genomic and physiological analysis reveals versatile metabolic capacity of deep-sea <Emphasis Type="Italic">Photobacterium phosphoreum</Emphasis> ANT-2200

Bacteria of the genus Photobacterium thrive worldwide in oceans and show substantial eco-physiological diversity including free-living, symbiotic and piezophilic life styles. Genomic characteristics underlying this variability across species are poorly understood. Here we carried out genomic and physiological analysis of Photobacterium phosphoreum strain ANT-2200, the first deep-sea luminous bacterium of which the genome has been sequenced. Using optical mapping we updated the genomic data and reassembled it into two chromosomes and a large plasmid. Genomic analysis revealed a versatile energy metabolic potential and physiological analysis confirmed its growth capacity by deriving energy from fermentation of glucose or maltose, by respiration with formate as electron donor and trimethlyamine N-oxide (TMAO), nitrate or fumarate as electron acceptors, or by chemo-organo-heterotrophic growth in rich media. Despite that it was isolated at a site with saturated dissolved oxygen, the ANT-2200 strain possesses four gene clusters coding for typical anaerobic enzymes, the TMAO reductases. Elevated hydrostatic pressure enhances the TMAO reductase activity, mainly due to the increase of isoenzyme TorA1. The high copy number of the TMAO reductase isoenzymes and pressure-enhanced activity might imply a strategy developed by bacteria to adapt to deep-sea habitats where the instant TMAO availability may increase with depth.     

Efficient chameleon hashing-based privacy-preserving auditing in cloud storage

Cloud storage is an important application service in cloud computing, it allows data users to store and access their files anytime, from anywhere and with any device. To ensure the security of the outsourced data, data user needs to periodically check data integrity. In some cases, the identity privacy of data user must be protected. However, in the existing preserving identity privacy protocols, data tag generation is mainly based on complex ring signature or group signature. It brings a heavy burden to data user. To ensure identity privacy of data user, in this paper we propose a novel identity privacy-preserving public auditing protocol by utilizing chameleon hash function. It can achieve the following properties: (1) the identity privacy of data user is preserved for cloud server; (2) the validity of the outsourced data is verified; (3) data privacy can be preserved for the auditor in auditing process; (4) computation cost to produce data tag is very low. Finally, we also show that our scheme is provably secure in the random oracle model, the security of the proposed scheme is related to the computational Diffie–Hellman problem and hash function problem.     

A new genus of Coelotinae (Araneae,Agelenidae) from southern China

One new genus of the spider subfamily Coelotinae, Flexicoelotesgen. n., with five new species is described from southern China: Flexicoeloteshuyunensissp. n. (female), Flexicoelotesjiaohanyanensissp. n. (male and female), Flexicoelotesjinlongyanensissp. n. (male and female), Flexicoelotespingzhaiensissp. n. (female), Flexicoelotesxingwangensissp. n. (male and female).