Morphology and Phylogeny of Calyptospora paranaidji n. sp. (Eimeriorina: Calyptosporidae), an Apicomplexan Parasite of the Hepatic Tissue of Cichla piquiti Kullander & Ferreira, 2006, From a Reservoir in the Brazilian Amazon Region

The coccidians of the family Calyptosporidae are parasites of the tissue and organs of fish and aquatic invertebrates, in particular in the tropical region. In contrast with other apicomplexans of the suborder Eimeriorina, the diversity and ecology of the species of the genus Calyptospora have been poorly investigated, resulting in a lacuna that restricts the understanding of the distribution and prevalence of this group of eukaryote microparasites in the Amazon region. In the present study, the integrated comparative analysis of morphological characteristics, histological and structural traits, and the sequences of a fragment of the 18S rRNA gene, provides support for the identification of a new species of Calyptospora, found parasitizing the hepatic tissue of the piscivorous blue peacock bass, Cichla piquiti, captured in the reservoir of the Estreito hydroelectric dam on the middle Tocantins River in northern Brazil. This new species was named Calyptospora paranaidji n. sp.     

Long non‐coding RNA highly up‐regulated in liver cancer promotes epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition process in oral squamous cell carcinoma

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is an oral and maxillofacial malignancy that exhibits high incidence worldwide. In diverse human cancers, the long non‐coding RNA (lncRNA) highly up‐regulated in liver cancer (HULC) is aberrantly expressed, but how HULC affects OSCC development and progression has remained mostly unknown. We report that HULC was abnormally up‐regulated in oral cancer tissues and OSCC cell lines, and that suppression of HULC expression in OSCC cells not only inhibited the proliferation, drug tolerance, migration and invasion of the cancer cells, but also increased their apoptosis rate. Notably, in a mouse xenograft model, HULC depletion reduced tumorigenicity and inhibited the epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition process. Collectively, our findings reveal a crucial role of the lncRNA HULC in regulating oral cancer carcinogenesis and tumour progression, and thus suggest that HULC could serve as a novel therapeutic target for OSCC.     

Lipid droplet proteins and metabolic diseases

Lipid droplets (LDs) are ubiquitous cellular organelles for lipid storage which are composed of a neutral lipid core bounded by a protein decorated phospholipid monolayer. Although lipid storage is their most obvious function, LDs are far from inert as they participate in maintaining lipid homeostasis through lipid synthesis, metabolism, and transportation. Furthermore, they are involved in cell signaling and other molecular events closely associated with human disease such as dyslipidemia, obesity, lipodystrophy, diabetes, fatty liver, atherosclerosis, and others. The last decade has seen a great increase in the attention paid to LD biology. Regardless, many fundamental features of LD biology remain obscure. In this review, we will discuss key aspects of LD biology including their biogenesis, growth and regression. We will also summarize the current knowledge about the role LDs play in human disease, especially from the perspective of the dynamics of the associated proteins. This article is part of a Special issue entitled Cardiac adaptations to obesity, diabetes and insulin resistance, edited by Professors Jan F.C. Glatz, Jason R.B. Dyck and Christine Des Rosiers.     

N-linked glycosylation of the liver cancer biomarker GP73

The association between elevated circulating levels of GP73 (and fucosylated GP73 in particular) and hepatocellular carcinoma suggests that a thorough analysis of the extent of GP73 glycosylation is warranted. Detailed analysis of the glycosylation patterns of such low abundance proteins are hampered by technical difficulties. Using conventional lectin affinity chromatography, we have established that three quarters of the GP73 secreted from a cell line derived from HCC is fucosylated. Using mass spectrometry, we have established that at least two of three potential sites of N-linked glycosylation are occupied on most molecules of GP73 secreted from cultured hepatoma cells. Furthermore, the oligosaccharides added to recombinant GP73 resemble those present in the bulk of secreted protein, mostly bi-antennary with core fucose, with a smaller fraction of tri- and tetra-antennary structures. The frequency of fucosylation observed on the recombinant protein agrees well with the pattern of lectin binding of the endogenous secreted protein. Finally, we have developed a method to interrogate the glycans added to either the near full length protein or at a particular sequon, providing proof of concept that a small peptide embedded in a heterologous context can preserve both fucosylation and a high level of branching of oligosaccharides added.     

In-depth Profiling and Quantification of the Lysine Acetylome in Hepatocellular Carcinoma with a Trapped Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometer

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third most common cause of cancer-related death worldwide with limited therapeutic options. Comprehensive investigation of protein posttranslational modifications in HCC is still limited. Lysine acetylation is one of the most common types of posttranslational modification involved in many cellular processes and plays crucial roles in the regulation of cancer. In this study, we analyzed the proteome and K-acetylome in eight pairs of HCC tumors and normal adjacent tissues using a timsTOF Pro instrument. As a result, we identified 9219 K-acetylation sites in 2625 proteins, of which 1003 sites exhibited differential acetylation levels between tumors and normal adjacent tissues. Interestingly, many novel tumor-specific K-acetylation sites were characterized, for example, filamin A (K865), filamin B (K697), and cofilin (K19), suggesting altered activities of these cytoskeleton-modulating molecules, which may contribute to tumor metastasis. In addition, we observed an overall suppression of protein K-acetylation in HCC tumors, especially for enzymes from various metabolic pathways, for example, glycolysis, tricarboxylic acid cycle, and fatty acid metabolism. Moreover, the expression of deacetylase sirtuin 2 (SIRT2) was upregulated in HCC tumors, and its role of deacetylation in HCC cells was further explored by examining the impact of SIRT2 overexpression on the proteome and K-acetylome in Huh7 HCC cells. SIRT2 overexpression reduced K-acetylation of proteins involved in a wide range of cellular processes, including energy metabolism. Furthermore, cellular assays showed that overexpression of SIRT2 in HCC cells inhibited both glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation. Taken together, our findings provide valuable information to better understand the roles of K-acetylation in HCC and to treat this disease by correcting the aberrant acetylation patterns.     

NEDD4 promotes cell growth and motility in hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common causes of cancer-related death worldwide. In China, the situation is even worse as cancer incidence and mortality continue to increase rapidly. Although tremendous progress has been made toward HCC treatments, the benefits for liver cancer patients are still limited. Therefore, it is necessary to identify and develop novel therapeutic methods. Neuronally expressed developmentally downregulated 4 (NEDD4), an E3 ubiquitin ligase, plays a critical role in the development and progression of various types of human cancers. In our study, NEDD4 acts as an oncoprotein in both QGY7703 and SMMC7721 liver cancer cell lines. We found that depletion of NEDD4 by siRNA transfection led to inhibition of cell growth, invasion and migration, and promotion of apoptosis. In contrast, overexpression of NEDD4 via plasmid transfection resulted in facilitated cell proliferation, invasion and migration, and decreased apoptosis. Importantly, we observed that tumor suppressor LATS1, also a core component of Hippo pathway, was negatively regulated by NEDD4 in liver cancer cells. Our findings suggested that NEDD4 may be involved in the HCC progression via regulating LATS1 associated signaling pathway. Therefore, targeting NEDD4-LATS1 signaling could be a potential therapeutic option for HCC treatment.     

GLP-1 Receptor Signaling in Astrocytes Regulates Fatty Acid Oxidation,Mitochondrial Integrity,and Function

1. Download : Download high-res image (263KB)
2. Download : Download full-size image

     

PDCD4基因在过氧化氢诱导喉癌细胞凋亡中的作用

目的探讨过氧化氢诱导喉癌细胞Hep-2凋亡过程中PDCD4基因表达的变化。方法以体外培养的喉癌细胞Hep-2为实验材料,不同浓度的过氧化氢作用于Hep-2细胞,噻唑蓝(MTT)比色法测定细胞生存率,采用吖啶橙染色、Ho33342/PI荧光双染进行形态学观察,RT-PCR及Western blot检测PDCD4 mRNA水平及蛋白表达的变化,评价在过氧化氢诱导喉癌细胞Hep-2凋亡过程中PDCD4基因的作用。结果过氧化氢(200μmol/L)作用Hep-2细胞24h,能够显著抑制细胞增殖,并诱导细胞凋亡,同时引起pdcd4 mRNA水平显著上调,PDCD4蛋白表达显著增加。结论本研究首次报道PDCD4基因可能在氧化胁迫诱导喉癌细胞凋亡中起关键作用。