MALT1 is a potential therapeutic target in glioblastoma and plays a crucial role in EGFR‐induced NF‐κB activation

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common malignant tumour in the adult brain and hard to treat. Nuclear factor κB (NF‐κB) signalling has a crucial role in the tumorigenesis of GBM. EGFR signalling is an important driver of NF‐κB activation in GBM; however, the correlation between EGFR and the NF‐κB pathway remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of mucosa‐associated lymphoma antigen 1 (MALT1) in glioma progression and evaluated the anti‐tumour activity and effectiveness of MI‐2, a MALT1 inhibitor in a pre‐clinical GBM model. We identified a paracaspase MALT1 that is involved in EGFR‐induced NF‐kB activation in GBM. MALT1 deficiency or inhibition significantly affected the proliferation, survival, migration and invasion of GBM cells both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, MALT1 inhibition caused G1 cell cycle arrest by regulating multiple cell cycle–associated proteins. Mechanistically, MALTI inhibition blocks the degradation of IκBα and prevents the nuclear accumulation of the NF‐κB p65 subunit in GBM cells. This study found that MALT1, a key signal transduction cascade, can mediate EGFR‐induced NF‐kB activation in GBM and may be potentially used as a novel therapeutic target for GBM.     

Design,synthesis and biological studies of Survivin Dimerization Modulators that prolong mitotic cycle

Survivin, a member of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) family proteins, has essential roles in cell division and inhibition of apoptosis. Several clinical studies in cancer patients have shown that the elevated levels of survivin correlate with aggressiveness of the disease and resistance to radiation and chemotherapeutic treatments. Survivin is an integral component of chromosomal passenger complex (CPC) where it binds to borealin and INCENP through its dimerization interface. Thus, disruption of functional survivin along its dimer interface with a small molecule is hypothesized to inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells and sensitize them to therapeutic agents and radiation. Recently, a small molecule (Abbott8) was reported to bind at the dimerization interface of survivin. Further development of this compound was accomplished by computational modeling of the molecular interactions along the dimerization interface, which has led to the design of promising survivin dimerization modulators. Two of the most potent survivin modulators, LLP3 and LLP9 at concentrations between 50 and 100 nM, caused delay in mitotic progression and major mitotic defects in proliferating human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and prostate cancer cells (PC3).     

Hydrolytic Amino Acids Employed as a Novel Organic Nitrogen Source for the Preparation of PGPF-Containing Bio-Organic Fertilizer for Plant Growth Promotion and Characterization of Substance Transformation during BOF Production

Opportunity costs seriously limit the large-scale production of bio-organic fertilizers (BOFs) both in China and internationally. This study addresses the utilization of amino acids resulting from the acidic hydrolysis of pig corpses as organic nitrogen sources to increase the density of TrichodermaharzianumT-E5 (a typical plant growth-promoting fungi, PGPF). This results in a novel, economical, highly efficient and environmentally friendly BOF product. Fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) spectroscopy combined with fluorescence regional integration (FRI) was employed to monitor compost maturity levels, while pot experiments were utilized to test the effects of this novel BOF on plant growth. An optimization experiment, based on response surface methodologies (RSMs), showed that a maximum T-E5 population (3.72 × 10⁸ ITS copies g⁻¹) was obtained from a mixture of 65.17% cattle manure compost (W/W), 19.33% maggot manure (W/W), 15.50% (V/W)hydrolytic amino acid solution and 4.69% (V/W) inoculum at 28.7°C after a 14 day secondary solid fermentation. Spectroscopy analysis revealed that the compost transformation process involved the degradation of protein-like substances and the formation of fulvic-like and humic-like substances. FRI parameters (P_{I, n}, P_{II, n}, P_{III, n} and P_{V, n}) were used to characterize the degree of compost maturity. The BOF resulted in significantly higher increased chlorophyll content, shoot length, and shoot and root dry weights of three vegetables (cucumber, tomato and pepper) by 9.9%~22.4%, 22.9%~58.5%, 31.0%~84.9%, and 24.2%~34.1%, respectively. In summary, this study presents an operational means of increasing PGPF T-E5 populations in BOF to promote plant growth with a concomitant reduction in production cost. In addition, a BOF compost maturity assessment using fluorescence EEM spectroscopy and FRI ensured its safe field application.     

Structure-based design, synthesis, evaluation, and crystal structures of transition state analogue inhibitors of inosine monophosphate cyclohydrolase

The inosine monophosphate cyclohydrolase (IMPCH) component (residues 1-199) of the bifunctional enzyme aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide transformylase (AICAR Tfase, residues 200-593)/IMPCH (ATIC) catalyzes the final step in the de novo purine biosynthesis pathway that produces IMP. As a potential target for antineoplastic intervention, we designed IMPCH inhibitors, 1,5-dihydroimidazo[4,5-c][1,2,6]thiadiazin-4(3H)-one 2,2-dioxide (heterocycle, 1), the corresponding nucleoside (2), and the nucleoside monophosphate (nucleotide) (3), as mimics of the tetrahedral intermediate in the cyclization reaction. All compounds are competitive inhibitors against IMPCH (K(i) values = 0.13-0.23 microm) with the simple heterocycle 1 exhibiting the most potent inhibition (K(i) = 0.13 microm). Crystal structures of bifunctional ATIC in complex with nucleoside 2 and nucleotide 3 revealed IMPCH binding modes similar to that of the IMPCH feedback inhibitor, xanthosine 5'-monophosphate. Surprisingly, the simpler heterocycle 1 had a completely different IMPCH binding mode and was relocated to the phosphate binding pocket that was identified from previous xanthosine 5'-monophosphate structures. The aromatic imidazole ring interacts with a helix dipole, similar to the interaction with the phosphate moiety of 3. The crystal structures not only revealed the mechanism of inhibition of these compounds, but they now serve as a platform for future inhibitor improvements. Importantly, the nucleoside-complexed structure supports the notion that inhibitors lacking a negatively charged phosphate can still inhibit IMPCH activity with comparable potency to phosphate-containing inhibitors. Provocatively, the nucleotide inhibitor 3 also binds to the AICAR Tfase domain of ATIC, which now provides a lead compound for the design of inhibitors that simultaneously target both active sites of this bifunctional enzyme.     

Structurally distinct recognition motifs in lymphotoxin-beta receptor and CD40 for tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor (TRAF)-mediated signaling

Lymphotoxin-beta receptor (LTbetaR) and CD40 are members of the tumor necrosis factor family of signaling receptors that regulate cell survival or death through activation of NF-kappaB. These receptors transmit signals through downstream adaptor proteins called tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factors (TRAFs). In this study, the crystal structure of a region of the cytoplasmic domain of LTbetaR bound to TRAF3 has revealed an unexpected new recognition motif, 388IPEEGD393, for TRAF3 binding. Although this motif is distinct in sequence and structure from the PVQET motif in CD40 and PIQCT in the regulator TRAF-associated NF-kappaB activator (TANK), recognition is mediated in the same binding crevice on the surface of TRAF3. The results reveal structurally adaptive "hot spots" in the TRAF3-binding crevice that promote molecular interactions driving specific signaling after contact with LTbetaR, CD40, or the downstream regulator TANK.     

Nevirapine Concentration in Hair Samples Is a Strong Predictor of Virologic Suppression in a Prospective Cohort of HIV-Infected Patients

Effective antiretroviral (ARV) therapy depends on adequate drug exposure, yet methods to assess ARV exposure are limited. Concentrations of ARV in hair are the product of steady-state pharmacokinetics factors and longitudinal adherence. We investigated nevirapine (NVP) concentrations in hair as a predictor of treatment response in women receiving ARVs. In participants of the Women’s Interagency HIV Study, who reported NVP use for >1 month from 2003–2008, NVP concentrations in hair were measured via liquid-chromatography-tandem mass-spectrometry. The outcome was virologic suppression (plasma HIV RNA below assay threshold) at the time of hair sampling and the primary predictor was nevirapine concentration categorized into quartiles. We controlled for age, race/ethnicity, pre-treatment HIV RNA, CD4 cell count, and self-reported adherence over the 6-month visit interval (categorized ≤ 74%, 75%–94% or ≥ 95%). We also assessed the relation of NVP concentration with changes in hepatic transaminase levels via multivariate random intercept logistic regression and linear regression analyses. 271 women contributed 1089 person-visits to the analysis (median 3 of semi-annual visits). Viral suppression was least frequent in concentration quartile 1 (86/178 (48.3%)) and increased in higher quartiles (to 158/204 (77.5%) for quartile 4). The odds of viral suppression in the highest concentration quartile were 9.17 times (95% CI 3.2–26, P < 0.0001) those in the lowest. African-American race was associated with lower rates of virologic suppression independent of NVP hair concentration. NVP concentration was not significantly associated with patterns of serum transaminases. Concentration of NVP in hair was a strong independent predictor of virologic suppression in women taking NVP, stronger than self-reported adherence, but did not appear to be strongly predictive of hepatotoxicity.     

体细胞克隆牛产品安全分析

体细胞克隆技术是将已分化的体细胞移到去核的成熟卵母细胞中,通过体外激活和培养,再移植入受体母畜子宫内,繁殖出具有相同基因型后代的一种技术。该技术可以大幅提升繁殖效率,并提供高质、充足和营养丰富的动物食品。近年来,美国、日本和欧洲等国家相继宣布体细胞克隆动物食品可以上市。然而,目前体细胞克隆效率相当低下,即使是出生的克隆动物也往往伴随发育畸形或高死亡率等现象,在对克隆动物发育异常知之甚少的情况下,宣布克隆动物产品上市是否为时过早?以下综述了克隆牛肉、奶及其产品安全。     

SNP mapping of QTL affecting growth and fatness on chicken GGA1

An F2 chicken population was established from a crossbreeding between a Xinghua line and a White Recessive Rock line. A total of 502 F2 chickens in 17 full-sib families from six hatches was obtained, and phenotypic data of 488 individuals were available for analysis. A total of 46 SNP on GGA1 was initially selected based on the average physical distance using the dbSNP database of NCBI. After the polymorphism levels in all F0 individuals (26 individuals) and part of the F1 individuals (22 individuals) were verified, 30 informative SNP were potentially available to genotype all F2 individuals. The linkage map was constructed using Cri-Map. Interval mapping QTL analyses were carried out. QTL for body weight (BW) of 35 d and 42 d, 49 d and 70 d were identified on GGA1 at 351–353 cM and 360 cM, respectively. QTL for abdominal fat weight was on GGA1 at 205 cM, and for abdominal fat rate at 221 cM. Two novel QTL for fat thickness under skin and fat width were detected at 265 cM and 72 cM, respectively.     

The impact of infliximab treatment on quality of life in patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases

In this study, we compare the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients with moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and study the effect of treatment with infliximab on the HRQoL of patients with these diseases. Short Form Health Survey-36 (SF-36) data from the placebo-controlled phases of 4 studies of infliximab in patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases (n = 1990) were evaluated. Data came from the Anti-TNF Trial in Rheumatoid Arthritis with Concomitant Therapy (ATTRACT) (n = 428), the Safety Trial for Rheumatoid Arthritis with REMICADE Therapy (START) (n = 1083), the Ankylosing Spondylitis Study for the Evaluation of Recombinant Infliximab Therapy (ASSERT) (n = 279), and the Infliximab Multinational Psoriatic Arthritis Clinical Trial II (IMPACT II) (n = 200). SF-36 assessments were made at weeks 0, 10, 30, and 54 in ATTRACT, weeks 0, 6, and 22 in START, weeks 0, 12, and 24 in ASSERT, and weeks 0 and 14 in IMPACT II. All patient populations had significantly impaired physical aspects of HRQoL at baseline relative to the general population of the United States, and the magnitude of impairment was similar across the diseases. Mean baseline physical component summary scores were 29 in the RA cohort, 32 in the PsA cohort, and 29 in the AS cohort. In all 3 diseases, patients who received infliximab showed significant improvement in physical component summary scores compared with those who received placebo. The magnitude of the difference of improvement (effect size, 95%CI) between infliximab and placebo groups was similar in the AS (10.1, 9.2–11.0), PsA (8.6, 7.8–9.4), and RA (10.1, 9.2–11.0) cohorts. Patients with RA and those with PsA treated with infliximab also showed greater improvement in the mental component summary score than those in the placebo group with an effect size of 4.6 (4.2–5.1) in RA and 2.7 (2.4–3.1) in PsA. Patients in large randomized controlled studies of infliximab in RA, PsA, and AS had similar impairment in physical aspects of HRQoL at baseline and showed significantly greater improvement in HRQoL after treatment with infliximab.