High Expression of SOX2 and OCT4 Indicates Radiation Resistance and an Independent Negative Prognosis in Cervical Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Radiotherapy (RT) as a preoperative or postoperative adjuvant or primary treatment is the most common management modality for locally advanced cervical cancer. Radioresistance of tumor cells remains a major therapeutic problem. Consequently, we aimed to explore if the stem cell biomarkers SOX2 and OCT4 protein could be used to predict radioresistance in patients with locally advanced cervical squamous cell carcinoma (LACSCC). These 132 patients were divided into two groups (radiation-resistant and radiation-sensitive groups) according to progress-free survival (PFS). Using pretreatment paraffin-embedded tissues, we evaluated SOX2 and OCT4 expression using immunohistochemical staining. The percentage of overexpression of SOX2 and OCT4 in the radiation-resistant group was much higher than that in the radiation-sensitive group (p<0.001 and p <0.001, respectively). The patients with high expression of SOX2 and OCT4 showed a shorter PFS than those with low expression. Our study suggests that the expression of SOX2 and OCT4 in tumor cells indicates resistance to radiotherapy and that these two factors were important predictors of poor survival in patients with LACSCC (hazard ratio [95% CI], 2.294 [1.013, 5.195] and 2.300 [1.050, 5.037], respectively; p=0.046 and p=0.037, respectively).     

HS‐SPME‐GC‐FID method for detection and quantification of Bacillus cereus ATCC 10702 mediated 2‐acetyl‐1‐pyrroline

A rapid micro‐scale solid‐phase micro‐extraction (SPME) procedure coupled with gas‐chromatography with flame ionized detector (GC‐FID) was used to extract parts per billion levels of a principle basmati aroma compound “2‐acetyl‐1‐pyrroline” (2‐AP) from bacterial samples. In present investigation, optimization parameters of bacterial incubation period, sample weight, pre‐incubation time, adsorption time, and temperature, precursors and their concentrations has been studied. In the optimized conditions, detection of 2‐AP produced by Bacillus cereus ATCC10702 using only 0.5 g of sample volume was 85 μg/kg. Along with 2‐AP, 15 other compounds produced by B. cereus were also reported out of which 14 were reported for the first time consisting mainly of (E)?2‐hexenal, pentadecanal, 4‐hydroxy‐2‐butanone, n‐hexanal, 2–6‐nonadienal, 3‐methoxy‐2(5H) furanone and 2‐acetyl‐1‐pyridine and octanal. High recovery of 2‐AP (87 %) from very less amount of B. cereus samples was observed. The method is reproducible fast and can be used for detection of 2‐AP production by B. cereus. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 30:1356–1363, 2014     

Optimization of a phenol extraction‐based protein preparation method amenable to downstream 2DE and MALDI‐MS based analysis of bacterial proteomes

2DE is one of the most efficient and widely used methods for resolving complex protein mixtures. For efficient analysis of complex samples, high‐resolution separation of proteins on 2D gel is essential, and for that purpose good sample preparation is crucial. In this study, we have improvized a method for preparing bacterial total cellular proteome, from a strategy applied earlier to recalcitrant plant tissues, which gave high‐quality resolution on 2DE. The method involving phenol extraction followed by methanol/ammonium acetate precipitation was first optimized for the chemolithotrophic proteobacteria Tetrathiobacter kashmirensis WT001 and Pseudaminobacter salicylatoxidans KCT001 that did not yield quality protein preps in conventional trichloroacetic acid/acetone precipitation method. Subsequently, to validate its general applicability, the method was evaluated against the trichloroacetic acid/acetone precipitation method for two other model bacteria, i.e. Escherichia coli DH5α and Mycobacterium smegmatis mc²6. Identification of at least four proteins each from the outer membrane, periplasm, and cytoplasm of T. kashmirensis by MALDI‐MS not only proved the efficiency of the method in extracting proteins from the different cellular compartments but also the amenability of the obtained protein spots toward MALDI‐MS based identification.     

Fibroblasts derived from long‐lived insulin receptor substrate 1 null mice are not resistant to multiple forms of stress

Reduced signalling through the insulin/insulin-like growth factor-1 signalling (IIS) pathway is a highly conserved lifespan determinant in model organisms. The precise mechanism underlying the effects of the IIS on lifespan and health is currently unclear, although cellular stress resistance may be important. We have previously demonstrated that mice globally lacking insulin receptor substrate 1 (Irs1^−/−) are long-lived and enjoy a greater period of their life free from age-related pathology compared with wild-type (WT) controls. In this study, we show that primary dermal fibroblasts and primary myoblasts derived from Irs1^−/− mice are no more resistant to a range of oxidant and nonoxidant chemical stressors than cells derived from WT mice.     

Genetic Background Influences P/Q-type Ca2+ Channel α1A Subunit mRNA Expression in Olfactory Bulb and Reproductive Ability of N-type Ca2+ Channel α1B Subunit-Deficient Mice

The Ca²⁺ channel α_1B subunit is a pore-forming component capable of generating N-type Ca²⁺ channel activity. Although the N-type Ca²⁺ channel plays a role in a variety of neuronal functions, α_1B-deficient mice did not show apparent behavioral abnormality. In a previous study, we observed a compensatory increase of mRNA expression of the P/Q-type Ca²⁺ channel α_1A subunit gene in olfactory bulb of α_1B-deficient mice with a CBA × C57BL/6 background; these mice showed a normal reproductive ability. In this study, we found that the mRNA expression level of the α_1A subunit was the same in olfactory bulb of wild, heterozygous, and homozygous α_1B-deficient mice with a CBA/JN background, and the homozygous male mice produced no offspring. These results suggest that the genetic background influences α_1A subunit mRNA expression and reproductive ability in α_1B-deficient mice.     

低分子量肝素对妊高征大鼠肾脏病变的保护作用及机制初步探讨

目的:研究低分子量肝素(LMWH)对妊高征大鼠肾脏损伤的作用及其细胞内信号转导机制.方法:采用注射L-NAME方法制备妊高征动物模型,将妊娠大鼠随机分为正常妊娠组、妊高征组、LMWH治疗组,测定各组平均动脉压、尿蛋白、血肌酐及血尿素氮,观察LMWH对肾脏各指标的影响及肾脏出现的病理学变化;同时采用免疫组化、RT-PCR及Western Blot方法检测ERK1/2在各组的表达变化.结果:LMWH治疗组肾脏组织ERK1/2的蛋白及mRNA表达水平明显低于妊高征组(P＜0.01),而妊高征组肾脏组织ERK的蛋白及mRNA表达水平明显高于正常妊娠组(P＜0.01),ERK1与ERK2在各组大鼠肾脏中的表达无差异;治疗组平均动脉压及尿蛋白明显低于非治疗组(P＜0.05),但仍未达正常妊娠水平;HE染色和PAS染色为治疗组肾小球系膜增生、基底膜增厚较非治疗组明显减轻.ERK蛋白主要分布于肾小球中.结论:LMWH对妊高征大鼠肾脏损伤具有一定的防护作用,其机制可能是通过下调ERK1/2的表达来实现.     

NO可能作为H2O2的下游信号介导ABA诱导的蚕豆气孔关闭

ABA、H2O2和硝普钠(SNP)均能诱导蚕豆气孔关闭.NO的清除剂c-PTIO可以减轻由ABA或H2O2所诱导的蚕豆气孔关闭的程度,而过氧化氢酶(CAT)则不能减轻NO诱导的气孔关闭程度.激光共聚焦显微检测结果显示,10μmo1/L的ABA处理后,胞内H2O2的产生速率明显高于NO的产生速率;CAT几乎可完全抑制ABA所诱导的DAF的荧光增加;外源H2O2能显著诱导胞内DAF的荧光增加;c-PTIO对ABA诱导的DCF荧光略有促进作用,但外源SNP不能诱导胞内DCF荧光增加.这些结果表明,在ABA诱导气孔关闭过程中,H2O2可能在NO的上游起作用并受NO的负反馈调节.     

Plasminogen/plasmin regulates c-fos and egr-1 expression via the MEK/ERK pathway

In this study, we showed that plasminogen (Plg) and plasmin (Pla) bind to lysine-binding sites on cell surface and trigger a signaling pathway that activates the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) MEK and ERK1/2, which in turn leads to the expression of the primary response genes c-fos and early growth response gene egr-1. Our data show that the Plg/Pla-stimulated steady-state mRNA levels of both genes reached a maximum by 30 min and then returned to basal levels by 1h. The gene induction was sensitive to both pharmacological and genetic inhibition of MEK. Leupeptin, a serine protease inhibitor, suppressed Pla but not Plg-induced c-fos and egr-1 expression, emphasizing the role played by the serine protease activity associated with Pla. Pre-incubation with cholera toxin completely blocked the Plg/Pla-induced gene expression, suggesting that another signaling pathway, which recruits G protein-coupled receptors, may also be involved. Furthermore, Plg/Pla also stimulated AP-1 and EGR-1 DNA-binding activities, which were abrogated by pharmacological inhibition of MEK. Altogether, these results suggest that Plg/Pla stimulates c-fos and egr-1 expression via activation of the MEK/ERK pathway.