siRNA介导的NFBD1表达沉默对HeLa细胞增殖与凋亡的影响

NFBD1,也称MDC1,是1个参与细胞内DNA损伤后细胞应答反应的重要分子．为探讨NFBD1在细胞增殖和凋亡中的作用及其作为分子靶点用于肿瘤治疗的潜在价值,本研究采用siRNA技术抑制NFBD1的表达,并观察了其对人宫颈癌细胞HeLa细胞增殖和细胞凋亡的影响．半定量RT-PCR和蛋白质印迹分析结果表明,筛选到的短链NFBD1 siRNA能有效抑制内源NFBD1的表达,抑制程度约100％．细胞生长曲线分析结果表明,siRNA介导的NFBD1表达沉默导致HeLa细胞生长增殖的显著抑制．FACS分析结果表明,NFBD1表达抑制导致sub-G₁峰的出现,同时蛋白质印迹分析观察到了caspase 3和PARP（poly-ADP-ribose polymerase）的剪接激活,表明NFBD1表达抑制诱发了细胞凋亡．在该凋亡过程中,P-53及其下游靶分子Bax和Puma的表达水平均没有发生明显变化,但Noxa的表达在mRNA和蛋白质水平上均显著上调,强烈提示该凋亡过程很可能是1个不依赖P53的凋亡途径,且Noxa的转录激活在该凋亡过程中可能起着重要作用．这些结果表明,NFBD1参与细胞生长增殖和凋亡的调节,是一个潜在的肿瘤治疗新靶点．     

Sp1 and Sp3 regulate basal transcription of the survivin gene

Survivin, a unique member of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein family, is overexpressed in many cancers and considered to play an important role in oncogenesis. In this study, we cloned and identified the proximal 269 bp promoter of survivin gene, which exhibited strong promoter activity in HeLa cells. The TATA-less, GC-rich promoter contains 7 putative binding sites for Sp1, two of which (one at position -148 to -153, the other at position -127 to -140) are essential in regulating basal survivin promoter activity. Not only Sp1 but also Sp3 can activate the survivin promoter, which were proven by EMSA, blocking Sp1 or Sp3 using RNAi or mithramycin treatment of HeLa cells, and overexpression of Sp1 or Sp3. Our results collectively suggest that Sp1 cooperates with Sp3 to regulate survivin promoter activity.     

Hepatocyte growth factor induces epithelial cell motility through transactivation of the epidermal growth factor receptor

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a potent inducer of motility in epithelial cells. Since we have previously found that activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is an absolute prerequisite for induction of motility of corneal epithelial cells after wounding, we investigated whether induction of motility in response to HGF is also dependent on activation of the EGFR. We now report that HGF induces transactivation of the EGFR in an immortalized line of corneal epithelial cells, in human skin keratinocytes, and in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells. EGFR activation is unconditionally required for induction of motility in corneal epithelial cells, and for induction of a fully motile phenotype in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells. Activation of the EGFR occurs through amphiregulin and heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor. Early after HGF stimulation, blocking EGFR activation does not inhibit extracellular-signal regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) activation by HGF, but the converse is seen after approximately 1 h, indicating the existence of EGFR-dependent and -independent routes of ERK1/2 activation. In summary, HGF induces transactivation of the EGFR in epithelial cells, and this is a prerequisite for induction of full motility.     

New Role for an Old Rule: N-end Rule-Mediated Degradation of Ethylene Responsive Factor Proteins Governs Low Oxygen Response in Plants

The N-end rule pathway regulates protein degradation, which depends on exposed N-terminal sequences in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. In plants, conserved and specific enzymes stimulate selective proteolysis. Although a number of developmental and growth phenotypes have been reported for mutants in the N-end rule, its function has remained unrelated to specific physiological pathways. The first report of the direct involvement of the N-end rule in stress responses focused on hypoxic signaling and how the oxygen-dependent oxidation of cystein promotes the N-end rule-mediated degradation of ethylene responsive factor (ERF)-VII proteins, the master regulators of anaerobic responses. It has beensuggested that plants have evolved specific mechanisms to tune ERF-VII availability in the nucleus. In this review, we speculate that ERF-VII proteins are reversibly protected from degradation via membrane sequestration. The oxidative response in plants subjected to anoxic conditions suggests that reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species) may interact or interfere with the N-end rule pathway-mediated response to hypoxia.     

阿托伐他汀强化降脂治疗急性脑梗死的疗效及对TNF-α、IL-10、IL-18、MMP-9水平的影响

目的:探讨阿托伐他汀强化降脂治疗急性脑梗死(ACI)的临床疗效,并分析其对肿瘤坏死因子-α(TNF-α)、白细胞介素-10(IL-10)、白细胞介素-18(IL-18)及基质金属蛋白酶-9(MMP-9)水平的影响。方法:选取2015年3月-2016年12月我院收治的82例ACI患者,采用随机数字表法随机分为强化组(n=41)与常规组(n=41)。在常规治疗的基础上,常规组患者给予20 mg/次的阿托伐他汀治疗,强化组患者给予40 mg/次的阿托伐他汀治疗,两组均连续治疗8w。治疗结束后对比两组患者的临床疗效,对比两组患者治疗前后总胆固醇(TC)、三酰甘油(TG)、高密度脂蛋白胆固醇(HDL-C)、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇(LDL-C)、组织型纤溶酶原激活物(t-PA)、血浆纤溶酶原激活物抑制剂-1(PAI-1)、血浆纤维蛋白原(FIB)、TNF-α、IL-10、IL-18、MMP-9水平。结果:强化组与常规组患者的总有效率分别为95.12%、80.49%,与常规组对比,强化组患者的临床总有效率明显升高(P0.05);两组患者治疗后的TC、TG、LDL-C、PAI-1、FIB、TNF-α、IL-18、MMP-9水平均较治疗前显著降低,HDL-C、t-PA、IL-10水平均显著升高(P0.05),且治疗后强化组患者的TC、TG、LDL-C、PAI-1、FIB、TNF-α、IL-18、MMP-9水平均低于常规组,HDL-C、t-PA、IL-10均高于常规组(P0.05)。结论:阿托伐他汀强化降脂治疗ACI疗效较好,能够显著改善患者血脂、纤溶系统及炎症因子相关指标水平,具有降脂、调节纤溶活性及抑制炎症的作用。     

A sea urchin in vivo model to evaluate Epithelial‐Mesenchymal Transition

Epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) is an evolutionarily conserved cellular program, which is a prerequisite for the metastatic cascade in carcinoma progression. Here, we evaluate the EMT process using the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus embryo. In sea urchin embryos, the earliest EMT event is related to the acquisition of a mesenchymal phenotype by the spiculogenetic primary mesenchyme cells (PMCs) and their migration into the blastocoel. We investigated the effect of inhibiting the epidermal growth factor (EGF) signaling pathway on this process, and we observed that mesenchyme cell differentiation was blocked. In order to extend and validate our studies, we investigated the migratory capability and the level of potential epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFr) targets in a breast cancer cell line after EGF modulation. Altogether, our data highlight the sensitivity of the sea urchin embryo to anti‐EMT drugs and pinpoint the sea urchin embryo as a valuable in vivo model system for studying EMT and the screening of anti‐EMT candidates.     

‘In-Format’ screening of a novel bispecific antibody format reveals significant potency improvements relative to unformatted molecules

Bispecific antibodies (BsAbs) are emerging as an important class of biopharmaceutical. The majority of BsAbs are created from conventional antibodies or fragments engineered into more complex configurations. A recurring challenge in their development, however, is the identification of components that are optimised for inclusion in the final format in order to deliver both efficacy and robust biophysical properties. Using a modular BsAb format, the mAb-dAb, we assessed whether an ‘in-format’ screening approach, designed to select format-compatible domain antibodies, could expedite lead discovery. Human nerve growth factor (NGF) was selected as an antigen to validate the approach; domain antibody (dAb) libraries were screened, panels of binders identified, and binding affinities and potencies compared for selected dAbs and corresponding mAb-dAbs. A number of dAbs that exhibited high potency (IC₅₀) when assessed in-format were identified. In contrast, the corresponding dAb monomers had ～1000-fold lower potency than the formatted dAbs; such dAb monomers would therefore have been omitted from further characterization. Subsequent stoichiometric analyses of mAb-dAbs bound to NGF, or an additional target antigen (vascular endothelial growth factor), suggested different target binding modes; this indicates that the observed potency improvements cannot be attributed simply to an avidity effect offered by the mAb-dAb format. We conclude that, for certain antigens, screening naïve selection outputs directly in-format enables the identification of a subset of format-compatible dAbs, and that this offers substantial benefits in terms of molecular properties and development time.