Apoptin induces pyroptosis of colorectal cancer cells via the GSDME-dependent pathway

Apoptin is a small molecular weight protein encoded by the VP3 gene of chicken anemia virus (CAV). It can induce apoptosis of tumor cells and play anti-tumorigenic functions. In this study, we identified a time-dependent inhibitory role of apoptin on the viability of HCT116 cells. We also demonstrated that apoptin induces pyroptosis through cleaved caspase 3, and with a concomitant cleavage of gasdermin E (GSDME) rather than GSDMD. GSDME knockdown switched the apoptin-induced cell death from pyroptosis to apoptosis in vitro. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the effect of apoptin on GSDME-dependent pyroptosis could be mitigated by caspase-3 and caspase-9 siRNA knockdown. Additionally, apoptin enhanced the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), causing aggregation of the mitochondrial membrane protein Tom20. Moreover, bax and cytochrome c were released to the activating caspase-9, eventually triggering pyroptosis. Therefore, GSDME mediates the apoptin-induced pyroptosis through the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. Finally, using nude mice xenografted with HCT116 cells, we found that apoptin induces pyroptosis and significantly inhibits tumor growth. Based on this mechanism, apoptin may provide a new strategy for colorectal cancer therapy.     

Construction,expression and characterization of a dual cancer-specific fusion protein targeting carcinoembryonic antigen in intestinal carcinomas

The abundantly expressed carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) on several cancer types is an attractive target for antibody-directed therapy. However, CEA is also present in some normal tissues. Here, we produced a dual functioning protein, designated as CAtin that exhibits both specific binding and killing functions, by fusing a tumor-specific apoptosis-inducing molecular Apoptin to C-terminus of an anti-CEA single-chain disulfide-stabilized Fv antibody (scdsFv). The CAtin proteins were expressed in Escherichia coli (E. coli), refolded and purified on an immobilized Ni2+ affinity chromatography column. SDS–PAGE and Western blotting revealed that the recombinant protein was well-expressed and the yield was approximately 250 mg/L. We demonstrated by flow cytometry and immunofluorescence assays that CAtin could bind specifically to human colon carcinoma cells (LoVo), but almost not to human uterine cervix (Hela). The results suggest that CAtin is active and specific toward CEA-positive cells and may potentially be used in CEA-targeted cancer therapy.     

Induction of an effective anti-tumor immune response and tumor regression by combined administration of IL-18 and Apoptin

Immunization strategies using plasmid DNA can potentially improve humoral and cellular immune responses that protect against cancer and infectious diseases. The chicken anemia virus-derived Apoptin protein exhibits remarkable specificity in its ability to induce apoptosis in tumor cells, but not in normal diploid cells. Interleukin-18 (IL-18) is a Th1-type cytokine that has demonstrated potential as a biological adjuvant in murine tumor models. In this study, we analyzed the anti-tumor potential and mechanism of action of simultaneous Apoptin and IL-18 gene transfer in C57BL/6 mice bearing Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC). Here we report that the growth of established tumors in mice immunized with pAPOPTIN in conjunction with pIL-18 was significantly inhibited compared with the growth of tumors in mice immunized with the empty vector (EV) or pAPOPTIN alone. Furthermore, the immunization of mice with pAPOPTIN in conjunction with pIL-18 elicited strong natural killer activity and LLC tumor-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses in vitro. In addition, T cells from lymph nodes of mice vaccinated with pIL-18 or pAPOPTIN + pIL-18 secreted high levels of the Th1 cytokine IL-2 and IFN-γ, indicating that the regression of tumor cells is related to a Th1-type dominant immune response. These results demonstrate that vaccination with Apoptin together with IL-18 may be a novel and powerful strategy for cancer immunotherapy.     

Attenuation of vaccinia Tian Tan strain by removal of viral TC7L-TK2L and TA35R genes

Vaccinia Tian Tan (VTT) was attenuated by deletion of the TC7L-TK2L and TA35R genes to generate MVTT3. The mutant was generated by replacing the open reading frames by a gene encoding enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) flanked by loxP sites. Viruses expressing EGFP were then screened for and purified by serial plaque formation. In a second step the marker EGFP gene was removed by transfecting cells with a plasmid encoding cre recombinase and selecting for viruses that had lost the EGFP phenotype. The MVTT3 mutant was shown to be avirulent and immunogenic. These results support the conclusion that TC7L-TK2L and TA35R deletion mutants can be used as safe viral vectors or as platform for vaccines.     

口蹄疫病毒三价复合多表位佐剂DNA疫苗构建及其免疫原性

以O型、A型口蹄疫病毒(FMDV)结构蛋白VP1全基因和AsiaI型FMDV两个基因拓扑型的结构蛋白VP1基因上的5个抗原表位基因作为主要免疫原基因,以来源于非结构蛋白3ABC和结构蛋白VP4上的3个Th2细胞表位基因作为辅助基因,构建了O型、A型和Asia1型FMDV复合多表位基因工程疫苗表达盒OAAT,在此基础上,以金黄色葡萄球菌肠毒素A(SEA)为基因佐剂,通过分子设计构建了SEA与OAAT融合表达基因。将构建好的表达盒OAAT与SEA融合表达基因克隆至真核表达载体PVAX1PCMV启动子下游,构建了口蹄疫三价基因佐剂DNA疫苗pEA。经Western blotting和IFA检测,目的蛋白在Hela细胞中获得正确表达。小鼠免疫实验表明,pA和pEA免疫组的血清抗体均能分别与O型、A型和AsiaI抗原反应,与对照组相比差异较显著,且pEA免疫组和灭活疫苗免疫组抗体水平均显著高于pA免疫组;同时pA和pEA免疫小鼠细胞因子IL-2、IFN-γ、IL-4和IL-10较对照组显著提高,且pEA免疫组的IL-2、IFN-γ和IL-4水平明显高于pA免疫组。用O/NY00和Asia1/YNBS/58株FMDV进行...     

深渊沉积物中盐单胞菌(Halomonas sp.)NyZ771菌株的分离培养及其降解芳香酸的研究

【背景】海洋是地球上最大的碳库,也是地球生物最大的栖息地。在这个庞大的生态系统中拥有多种多样的微生物,它们在全球碳循环中扮演了重要的角色。海斗深渊(海平面6 000 m以下的海域)由于高静水压和表层沉积汇集了大量有机质,形成了包含丰富生物资源的特殊生境。【目的】从马里亚纳海沟海斗深渊沉积物样品中分离培养能够以芳香酸为唯一碳源和能源生长的微生物,并研究其降解特性。【方法】通过模拟原位高压环境富集培养和常压条件下芳香酸选择性分离培养获得深渊来源的纯培养细菌,并根据形态学观察和16S rRNA基因序列系统发育分析进行种属鉴定,利用不同芳香酸进行培养和生物转化,通过HPLC和LC/MS鉴定芳香酸代谢中间产物。【结果】从马里亚纳海沟6 300 m沉积物样本中分离获得了一株盐单胞菌(Halomonas sp.)NyZ771。该菌株能够利用苯甲酸和4-羟基苯甲酸作为唯一碳源生长。其代谢4-羟基苯甲酸的中间产物鉴定为原儿茶酸。【结论】从深渊沉积物样本分离得到一株能降解苯甲酸和4-羟基苯甲酸的盐单胞菌NyZ771,丰富了深渊来源的微生物资源,为今后研究深渊中微生物的芳香酸降解及海洋微生物驱动的碳循环提供了一定的理论基础。