BACKGROUND Gastric cancer(GC)is one of the most common cancer types worldwide,and its prevention and treatment methods have garnered much attention.As the active ingredient of licorice,18β-glycyrrhetinic acid(18β-GR...BACKGROUND Gastric cancer(GC)is one of the most common cancer types worldwide,and its prevention and treatment methods have garnered much attention.As the active ingredient of licorice,18β-glycyrrhetinic acid(18β-GRA)has a variety of pharmacological effects.The aim of this study was to explore the effective target of 18β-GRA in the treatment of GC,in order to provide effective ideas for the clinical prevention and treatment of GC.AIM To investigate the mechanism of 18β-GRA in inhibiting cell proliferation and promoting autophagy flux in GC cells.METHODS Whole transcriptomic analyses were used to analyze and screen differentially expressed microRNAs(miRNAs)in GC cells after 18β-GRA intervention.Lentivirus-transfected GC cells and the Cell Counting Kit-8 were used to detect cell proliferation ability,cell colony formation ability was detected by the clone formation assay,and flow cytometry was used to detect the cell cycle and apoptosis.A nude mouse transplantation tumor model of GC cells was constructed to verify the effect of miR-328-3p overexpression on the tumorigenicity of GC cells.Tumor tissue morphology was observed by hematoxylin and eosin staining,and microtubule-associated protein light chain 3(LC3)expression was detected by immunohistochemistry.TransmiR,STRING,and miRWalk databases were used to predict the relationship between miR-328-3p and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3)-related information.Expression of STAT3 mRNA and miR-328-3p was detected by quantitative polymerase chain reaction(qPCR)and the expression levels of STAT3,phosphorylated STAT3(p-STAT3),and LC3 were detected by western blot analysis.The targeted relationship between miR-328-3p and STAT3 was detected using the dual-luciferase reporter gene system.AGS cells were infected with monomeric red fluorescent protein-green fluorescent protein-LC3 adenovirus double label.LC3 was labeled and autophagy flow was observed under a confocal laser microscope.RESULTS The expression of miR-328-3p was significantly upregulated after 18β-GRA intervention in AGS cells(P=4.51E-06).Overexpression of miR-328-3p inhibited GC cell proliferation and colony formation ability,arrested the cell cycle in the G0/G1 phase,promoted cell apoptosis,and inhibited the growth of subcutaneous tumors in BALB/c nude mice(P<0.01).No obvious necrosis was observed in the tumor tissue in the negative control group(no drug intervention or lentivirus transfection)and vector group(the blank vector for lentivirus transfection),and more cells were loose and necrotic in the miR-328-3p group.Bioinformatics tools predicted that miR-328-3p has a targeting relationship with STAT3,and STAT3 was closely related to autophagy markers such as p62.After overexpressing miR-328-3p,the expression level of STAT3 mRNA was significantly decreased(P<0.01)and p-STAT3 was downregulated(P<0.05).The dual-luciferase reporter gene assay showed that the luciferase activity of miR-328-3p and STAT33’untranslated regions of the wild-type reporter vector group was significantly decreased(P<0.001).Overexpressed miR-328-3p combined with bafilomycin A1(Baf A1)was used to detect the expression of LC3 II.Compared with the vector group,the expression level of LC3 II in the overexpressed miR-328-3p group was downregulated(P<0.05),and compared with the Baf A1 group,the expression level of LC3 II in the overexpressed miR-328-3p+Baf A1 group was upregulated(P<0.01).The expression of LC3 II was detected after intervention of 18β-GRA in GC cells,and the results were consistent with the results of miR-328-3p overexpression(P<0.05).Additional studies showed that 18β-GRA promoted autophagy flow by promoting autophagosome synthesis(P<0.001).qPCR showed that the expression of STAT3 mRNA was downregulated after drug intervention(P<0.05).Western blot analysis showed that the expression levels of STAT3 and p-STAT3 were significantly downregulated after drug intervention(P<0.05).CONCLUSION 18β-GRA promotes the synthesis of autophagosomes and inhibits GC cell proliferation by regulating the miR-328-3p/STAT3 signaling pathway.展开更多
Cooperative activation is critical for the applications of synthetic biology in mammalian cells.In this study,we have developed cooperative transcription factor by fusing oligomerization domain in mammalian cells.Firs...Cooperative activation is critical for the applications of synthetic biology in mammalian cells.In this study,we have developed cooperative transcription factor by fusing oligomerization domain in mammalian cells.Firstly,we demonstrated that two oligomerized domains(CI434 and CI)successfully improved transcription factor cooperativity in bacterial cells but failed to increase cooperativity in mammalian cells,possibly because the additional mammalian activation domain disrupted their oligomerization capability.Therefore,we chose a different type of oligomerized domain(CarHC),whose ability to oligomerize is not dependent on its C-terminal domains,to fuse with a transcription factor(RpaR)and activation domain(VTR3),forming a potential cooperative transcription activator RpaR-CarH-VTR3 for mammalian regulatory systems.Compared with RpaR-VTR3,the cooperativity of RpaR-CarH-VTR3 was significantly improved with higher Hill coefficient and a narrower input range in the inducible switch system in mammalian cells.Moreover,a mathematical model based on statistical mechanics model was developed and the simulation results supported the hypothesis that the tetramer of the CarH domain in mammalian cells was the reason for the cooperative capacity of RpaR-CarH-VTR3.展开更多
Drought stress impairs crop growth and development.BEL1-like family transcription factors may be involved in plant response to drought stress,but little is known of the molecular mechanism by which these proteins regu...Drought stress impairs crop growth and development.BEL1-like family transcription factors may be involved in plant response to drought stress,but little is known of the molecular mechanism by which these proteins regulate plant response and defense to drought stress.Here we show that the BEL1-like transcription factor GhBLH5-A05 functions in cotton(Gossypium hirsutum)response and defense to drought stress.Expression of GhBLH5-A05 in cotton was induced by drought stress.Overexpression of GhBLH5-A05 in both Arabidopsis and cotton increased drought tolerance,whereas silencing GhBLH5-A05 in cotton resulted in elevated sensitivity to drought stress.GhBLH5-A05 binds to cis elements in the promoters of GhRD20-A09 and GhDREB2C-D05 to activate the expression of these genes.GhBLH5-A05 interacted with the KNOX transcription factor GhKNAT6-A03.Co-expression of GhBLH5-A05 and GhKNAT6-A03 increased the transcription of GhRD20-A09 and GhDREB2C-D05.We conclude that GhBLH5-A05 acts as a regulatory factor with GhKNAT6-A03 functioning in cotton response to drought stress by activating the expression of the drought-responsive genes GhRD20-A09 and GhDREB2C-D05.展开更多
Transcription factors(TFs)play essential roles in transcriptional reprogramming during activation of plant immune responses to pathogens.OsSPL10(SQUAMOSA promoter binding protein-like10)is an important TF regulating t...Transcription factors(TFs)play essential roles in transcriptional reprogramming during activation of plant immune responses to pathogens.OsSPL10(SQUAMOSA promoter binding protein-like10)is an important TF regulating trichome development and salt tolerance in rice.Here we report that knockout of OsSPL10 reduces whereas its overexpression enhances rice resistance to blast disease.OsSPL10 positively regulates chitin-induced immune responses including reactive oxygen species(ROS)burst and callose deposition.We show that OsSPL10 physically associates with OsJAmyb,an important TF involved in jasmonic acid(JA)signaling,and positively regulates its protein stability.We then prove that OsJAmyb positively regulates resistance to blast.Our results reveal a molecular module consisting of OsSPL10 and OsJAmyb that positively regulates blast resistance.展开更多
WRKY transcription factors,transcriptional regulators unique to plants,play an important role in defense response to pathogen infection.However,the resistance mechanisms of WRKY genes in sugarcane remain unclear.In th...WRKY transcription factors,transcriptional regulators unique to plants,play an important role in defense response to pathogen infection.However,the resistance mechanisms of WRKY genes in sugarcane remain unclear.In the present study,gene ontology(GO)enrichment analysis revealed that WRKY gene family in sugarcane was extensively involved in the response to biotic stress and in defense response.We identified gene ScWRKY4,a classⅡc member of the WRKY gene family,in sugarcane cultivar ROC22.This gene was induced by salicylic acid(SA)and methyl jasmonate(MeJA)stress.Interestingly,expression of ScWRKY4 was down-regulated in smut-resistant sugarcane cultivars but up-regulated in smutsusceptible sugarcane cultivars infected with Sporisorium scitamineum.Moreover,stable overexpression of the ScWRKY4 gene in Nicotiana benthamiana enhanced susceptibility to Fusarium solani var.coeruleum and caused down-regulated expression of immune marker-related genes.Transcriptome analysis indicated suppressed expression of most JAZ genes in the signal transduction pathway.ScWRKY4 interacted with ScJAZ13 to repress its expression.We thus hypothesized that the ScWRKY4 gene was involved in the regulatory network of plant disease resistance,most likely through the JA signaling pathway.The present study depicting the molecular involvement of ScWRKY4 in sugarcane disease resistance lays a foundation for future investigation.展开更多
Glutamatergic projection neurons generate sophisticated excitatory circuits to integrate and transmit information among different cortical areas,and between the neocortex and other regions of the brain and spinal cord...Glutamatergic projection neurons generate sophisticated excitatory circuits to integrate and transmit information among different cortical areas,and between the neocortex and other regions of the brain and spinal cord.Appropriate development of cortical projection neurons is regulated by certain essential events such as neural fate determination,proliferation,specification,differentiation,migration,survival,axonogenesis,and synaptogenesis.These processes are precisely regulated in a tempo-spatial manner by intrinsic factors,extrinsic signals,and neural activities.The generation of correct subtypes and precise connections of projection neurons is imperative not only to support the basic cortical functions(such as sensory information integration,motor coordination,and cognition)but also to prevent the onset and progression of neurodevelopmental disorders(such as intellectual disability,autism spectrum disorders,anxiety,and depression).This review mainly focuses on the recent progress of transcriptional regulations on the development and diversity of neocortical projection neurons and the clinical relevance of the failure of transcriptional modulations.展开更多
One of the main diseases that adversely impacts the global citrus industry is citrus bacterial canker(CBC),caused by the bacteria Xanthomonas citri subsp.citri(Xcc).Response to CBC is a complex process,with both prote...One of the main diseases that adversely impacts the global citrus industry is citrus bacterial canker(CBC),caused by the bacteria Xanthomonas citri subsp.citri(Xcc).Response to CBC is a complex process,with both proteinDNA as well as protein–protein interactions for the regulatory network.To detect such interactions in CBC resistant regulation,a citrus high-throughput screening system with 203 CBC-inducible transcription factors(TFs),were developed.Screening the upstream regulators of target by yeast-one hybrid(Y1H)methods was also performed.A regulatory module of CBC resistance was identified based on this system.One TF(CsDOF5.8)was explored due to its interactions with the 1-kb promoter fragment of CsPrx25,a resistant gene of CBC involved in reactive oxygen species(ROS)homeostasis regulation.Electrophoretic mobility shift assay(EMSA),dual-LUC assays,as well as transient overexpression of CsDOF5.8,further validated the interactions and transcriptional regulation.The CsDOF5.8–CsPrx25 promoter interaction revealed a complex pathway that governs the regulation of CBC resistance via H2O2homeostasis.The high-throughput Y1H/Y2H screening system could be an efficient tool for studying regulatory pathways or network of CBC resistance regulation.In addition,it could highlight the potential of these candidate genes as targets for efforts to breed CBC-resistant citrus varieties.展开更多
Dysregulation of G9a,a histone-lysine N-methyltransferase,has been observed in Alzheimer’s disease and has been correlated with increased levels of chronic inflammation and oxidative stress.Likewise,microRNAs are inv...Dysregulation of G9a,a histone-lysine N-methyltransferase,has been observed in Alzheimer’s disease and has been correlated with increased levels of chronic inflammation and oxidative stress.Likewise,microRNAs are involved in many biological processes and diseases playing a key role in pathogenesis,especially in multifactorial diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease.Therefore,our aim has been to provide partial insights into the interconnection between G9a,microRNAs,oxidative stress,and neuroinflammation.To better understand the biology of G9a,we compared the global microRNA expression between senescence-accelerated mouse-prone 8(SAMP8)control mice and SAMP8 treated with G9a inhibitor UNC0642.We found a downregulation of miR-128 after a G9a inhibition treatment,which interestingly binds to the 3′untranslated region(3′-UTR)of peroxisome-proliferator activator receptor γ(PPARG)mRNA.Accordingly,Pparg gene expression levels were higher in the SAMP8 group treated with G9a inhibitor than in the SAMP8 control group.We also observed modulation of oxidative stress responses might be mainly driven Pparg after G9a inhibitor.To confirm these antioxidant effects,we treated primary neuron cell cultures with hydrogen peroxide as an oxidative insult.In this setting,treatment with G9a inhibitor increases both cell survival and antioxidant enzymes.Moreover,up-regulation of PPARγby G9a inhibitor could also increase the expression of genes involved in DNA damage responses and apoptosis.In addition,we also described that the PPARγ/AMPK axis partially explains the regulation of autophagy markers expression.Finally,PPARγ/GADD45αpotentially contributes to enhancing synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis after G9a inhibition.Altogether,we propose that pharmacological inhibition of G9a leads to a neuroprotective effect that could be due,at least in part,by the modulation of PPARγ-dependent pathways by miR-128.展开更多
Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus(KSHV)is γ-2 herpesvirus with latency and lytic replication stages in its life-cycle.The viral replication and transcription activator(RTA)is the key protein for triggering KSH...Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus(KSHV)is γ-2 herpesvirus with latency and lytic replication stages in its life-cycle.The viral replication and transcription activator(RTA)is the key protein for triggering KSHV lytic gene expression and replication from latency.In this review,we will discuss the gene expression program in KSHV lytic replication and latency,the regulation of the RTA expression,the RTA protein and the mechanisms that RTA utilizes to transactivate its target genes.We will focus on the RTA-mediated transactivation mechanisms,including DNA-binding,interacting with cellular co-factors and promoting repressor degradation.展开更多
Zinc-finger nucleases and transcription activator-like effector nucleases are novel gene-editing platformscontributing to redefine the boundaries of modern biological research. They are composed of a non-specificcleav...Zinc-finger nucleases and transcription activator-like effector nucleases are novel gene-editing platformscontributing to redefine the boundaries of modern biological research. They are composed of a non-specificcleavage domain and a tailor made DNA-binding module, which enables a broad range of genetic modifications byinducing efficient DNA double-strand breaks at desired loci. Among other remarkable uses, these nucleases havebeen employed to produce gene knockouts in mid-size and large animals, such as rabbits and pigs, respectively.This approach is cost effective, relatively quick, and can produce invaluable models for human disease studies,biotechnology or agricultural purposes. Here we describe a protocol for the efficient generation of knockout rabbitsusing transcription activator-like effector nucleases, and a perspective of the field.展开更多
Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3), a member of the STAT family, is a key regulator of many physiological and pathological processes. Significant progress has been made in understanding the tran...Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3), a member of the STAT family, is a key regulator of many physiological and pathological processes. Significant progress has been made in understanding the transcriptional control, posttranslational modification, cellular localization and functional regulation of STAT3. STAT3 can translocate into the nucleus and bind to specific promoter sequences, thereby exerting transcriptional regulation. Recent studies have shown that STAT3 can also translocate into mitochondria, participating in aerobic respiration and apoptosis. In addition, STAT3 plays an important role in inflammation and tumorigenesis by regulating cell proliferation, differentiation and metabolism. Conditional knockout mouse models make it possible to study the physiological function of STAT3 in specific tissues and organs. This review summarizes the latest advances in the understanding of the expression, regulation and function of STAT3 in physiological and tumorigenic processes.展开更多
BACKGROUND Study shows that signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3) can increase the Warburg effect by stimulating hexokinase 2 in breast cancer and upregulate lactate dehydrogenase A and pyruvate de...BACKGROUND Study shows that signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3) can increase the Warburg effect by stimulating hexokinase 2 in breast cancer and upregulate lactate dehydrogenase A and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 in myeloma. STAT3 and pyruvate kinase M2(PKM2) can also be activated and enhance the Warburg effect in hepatocellular carcinoma. Precancerous lesions are critical to human and rodent hepatocarcinogenesis. However, the underlying molecular mechanism for the development of liver precancerous lesions remains unknown. We hypothesized that STAT3 promotes the Warburg effect possibly by upregulating p-PKM2 in liver precancerous lesions in rats.AIM To investigate the mechanism of the Warburg effect in liver precancerous lesions in rats.METHODS A model of liver precancerous lesions was established by a modified Solt-Farber method. The liver pathological changes were observed by HE staining and immunohistochemistry. The transformation of WB-F344 cells induced with Nmethyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine and hydrogen peroxide was evaluated by the soft agar assay and aneuploidy. The levels of glucose and lactate in the tissue and culture medium were detected with a spectrophotometer. The protein levels of glutathione S-transferase-π, proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA), STAT3,and PKM2 were examined by Western blot and immunofluorescence.RESULTS We found that the Warburg effect was increased in liver precancerous lesions in rats. PKM2 and p-STAT3 were upregulated in activated oval cells in liverprecancerous lesions in rats. The Warburg effect, p-PKM2, and p-STAT3 expression were also increased in transformed WB-F344 cells. STAT3 activation promoted the clonal formation rate, aneuploidy, alpha-fetoprotein expression,PCNA expression, G1/S phase transition, the Warburg effect, PKM2 phosphorylation, and nuclear translocation in transformed WB-F344 cells.Moreover, the Warburg effect was inhibited by stattic, a specific inhibitor of STAT3, and further reduced in transformed WB-F344 cells after the intervention for PKM2.CONCLUSION The Warburg effect is initiated in liver precancerous lesions in rats. STAT3 activation promotes the Warburg effect by enhancing the phosphorylation of PKM2 in transformed WB-F344 cells.展开更多
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDAC) remains a deadly disease with no efficacious treatment options. PDAC incidence is projected to increase, which may be caused at least partially by the obesity epidemic. Significa...Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDAC) remains a deadly disease with no efficacious treatment options. PDAC incidence is projected to increase, which may be caused at least partially by the obesity epidemic. Significantly enhanced efforts to prevent or intercept this cancer are clearly warranted. Oncogenic KRAS mutations are recognized initiating events in PDAC development, however, they are not entirely sufficient for the development of fully invasive PDAC.Additional genetic alterations and/or environmental, nutritional, and metabolic signals, as present in obesity, type-2 diabetes mellitus, and inflammation, are required for full PDAC formation. We hypothesize that oncogenic KRAS increases the intensity and duration of the growth-promoting signaling network.Recent exciting studies from different laboratories indicate that the activity of the transcriptional co-activators Yes-associated protein(YAP) and WW-domaincontaining transcriptional co-activator with PDZ-binding motif(TAZ) play a critical role in the promotion and maintenance of PDAC operating as key downstream target of KRAS signaling. While initially thought to be primarily an effector of the tumor-suppressive Hippo pathway, more recent studies revealed that YAP/TAZ subcellular localization and co-transcriptional activity is regulated by multiple upstream signals. Overall, YAP has emerged as a central node of transcriptional convergence in growth-promoting signaling in PDAC cells. Indeed, YAP expression is an independent unfavorable prognostic marker for overall survival of PDAC. In what follows, we will review studies implicating YAP/TAZ in pancreatic cancer development and consider different approaches to target these transcriptional regulators.展开更多
AIM:To investigate the roles and mechanism of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in invasion of human colon cancer cells by RNA interference. METHODS: Small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting Si...AIM:To investigate the roles and mechanism of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in invasion of human colon cancer cells by RNA interference. METHODS: Small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) was transfected into HT29 colon cancer cells. STAT3 protein level and DNA-binding activity of STAT3 was evaluated by western blotting and electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), respectively. We studied the anchorage-independent growth using colony formation in soft agar, and invasion using the boyden chamber model, anoikis using DNA fragmentation assay and terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL), respectively. Western blot assay was used to observe the protein expression of Bcl-xL and survivin in colon cancer HT29 cells. RESULTS: RNA interference (RNAi) mediated by siRNA leads to suppression of STAT3 expression in colon cancer cell lines. Suppression of STAT3 expression by siRNA could inhibit anchorage-independent growth, and invasion ability, and induces anoikis in the colon cancer cell line HT29. It has been shown that knockdown of STAT3 expression by siRNA results in a reduction in expression of Bcl-xL and survivin in HT29 cells. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that STAT3 siRNA can inhibit the invasion ability of colon cancer cells through inducing anoikis, which antiapoptotic genes survivin and Bcl-xL contribute to regulation of anoikis.These studies indicate STAT3 siRNA could be a useful therapeutic tool for the treatment of colon cancer.展开更多
AIM:To explore the effect of silencing of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3) expression by RNA interference(RNAi) on growth of human hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) in tumor-bearing nude mice in v...AIM:To explore the effect of silencing of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3) expression by RNA interference(RNAi) on growth of human hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) in tumor-bearing nude mice in vivo.METHODS:To construct the recombinant plasmid of pSilencer 3.0-H1-STAT3-siRNA-GFP(pSH1-siRNA-STAT3) and establish the tumor-bearing nude mouse model of the HCC cell line SMMC7721,we used intratumoral injection together with electroblotting to transfect the recombinant plasmid pSH1-siRNA-STAT3 into the transplanted tumor.The weight of the nude mice and tumor volumes were recorded.STAT3 gene transcription was detected by semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(RTPCR).Level of protein expression and location of STAT3 were determined by Western blotting and immunohistochemical staining.STAT3-related genes such as survivin,c-myc,VEGF,p53 and caspase3 mRNA and protein expression were detected in tumor tissues at the same time.The terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling(TUNEL) assay was used to detect apoptosis of tumor cells.RESULTS:The weight of the treated nude mice increased,and the tumor volume decreased markedly compared with those of the mock-treated and negative control groups(P < 0.01).The results of RT-PCR and Western blotting showed that mRNA and protein levels of STAT3 declined markedly in the treated group.The change in STAT3-related gene expression in tumor tissues at the mRNA and protein level also varied,the expression of survivin,VEGF and c-myc were obviously reduced,and expression of p53 and caspase3 increased(P < 0.01).Most of the tumor tissue cells in the treated group developed apoptosis that was detected by TUNEL assay.CONCLUSION:Silencing of STAT3 expression by RNAi significantly inhibits expression of STAT3 mRNA and protein,and suppresses growth of human HCC in tumor-bearing nude mice.The mechanism may be related to down-regulation of survivin,VEGF and c-myc and up-regulation of p53 and caspase3 expression.Accordingly,the STAT3 gene may act as an important and effective target in gene therapy of HCC.展开更多
Signal transducers and activators of transcription(STATs) mediate essential signals for various biological processes,including immune responses,hematopoiesis,and neurogenesis. STAT3,for example,is involved in the path...Signal transducers and activators of transcription(STATs) mediate essential signals for various biological processes,including immune responses,hematopoiesis,and neurogenesis. STAT3,for example,is involved in the pathogenesis of various human diseases,including cancers,autoimmune and inflammatory disorders. STAT3 activation is therefore tightly regulated at multiple levels to prevent these pathological conditions. A number of proteins have been reported to associate with STAT3 and regulate its activity. These STAT3-interacting proteins function to modulate STAT3-mediated signaling at various steps and mediate the crosstalk of STAT3 with other cellular signaling pathways. This article reviews the roles of novel STAT3 binding partners such as DAXX,zipperinteracting protein kinase,Krüppel-associated box-associated protein 1,Y14,PDZ and LIM domain 2 and signal transducing adaptor protein-2,in the regulation of STAT3-mediated signaling.展开更多
Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most common cancers worldwide,and a leading cause of cancer-related death.Owing to unsatisfactory clinical outcomes under the current standard of care,there is a need to search f...Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most common cancers worldwide,and a leading cause of cancer-related death.Owing to unsatisfactory clinical outcomes under the current standard of care,there is a need to search for and identify novel and potent therapeutic targets to improve patient outcomes.Sorafenib is the first and only approved targeted therapy for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.Besides functioning as a multiple tyrosine kinase,sorafenib also acts via a kinase-independent mechanism to target signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3) signaling in hepatocellular carcinoma cells.STAT3 is a key regulator of inflammation,cell survival,and tumorigenesis of liver cells,and the high percentage of hepatocellular carcinoma cells with constitutively active STAT3 justifies targeting it for the development of novel therapeutics.Sorafenib inactivates STAT3 and STAT3-related signaling by inducing a conformational change in and releasing the autoinhibition of Src homology region 2 domaincontaining phosphatase-1.This phosphatase negatively regulates STAT3 activity,which leads to the subsequent apoptosis of cancer cells.The novel anti-cancer property of sorafenib will be discussed in this review,not only adding information regarding its mechanism of action but also providing an innovative approach for the development of cancer therapeutics in the future.展开更多
WRKY family proteins are a class of plant specific transcription factors that involve in many stress response pathways. It has been shown that one Arabidopsis WRKY protein, AtWRKY29/22, is activated by MAP kinase sign...WRKY family proteins are a class of plant specific transcription factors that involve in many stress response pathways. It has been shown that one Arabidopsis WRKY protein, AtWRKY29/22, is activated by MAP kinase signaling cascade and confers resistance to both bacterial and fungal pathogens. However, little is known about the biological roles of WRKY proteins in rice. In this study, we investigated the expression patterns of rice AtWRKY29/22 homolog, OsWRKY03, under different conditions, and also its possible role involved in plant defense. Our results showed that OsWRKY03 was up-regulated by several defense signaling molecules or different treatments. Further analysis revealed that the expres- sion of OsWRKY03 was light dependent. Transcriptional activation activity of OsWRKY03 was also demonstrated by yeast functional assay. Transient expression of OsWRKY03-GFP fusion protein in onion epidermis cells showed that OsWRKY03 was a nuclear localized protein. OsNPR1 as well as several other pathogenesis-related genes, such as OsPR1b, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (ZB8) and peroxidase (POX22.3), were induced in OsWRKY03-overexpressing transgenic plants. These results indicated that OsWRKY03 is located upstream of OsNPR1 as a transcriptional activator in salicylic acid (SA)-dependent or jasmonic acid (JA)-dependent defense signaling cascades.展开更多
AIM: To study the effect of Hepatitis C virus non- structural 5A (HCV NS5A) on IFNα induced signal transducer and activator of transcription-1 (STAT1) phosphorylation and nuclear translocation. METHODS: Expression of...AIM: To study the effect of Hepatitis C virus non- structural 5A (HCV NS5A) on IFNα induced signal transducer and activator of transcription-1 (STAT1) phosphorylation and nuclear translocation. METHODS: Expression of STAT1 Tyr701 phosphorylation at different time points was confirmed by Western blot, and the time point when p-STAT1 expressed most, was taken as the IFN induction time for further studies. Immunocytochemistry was used to confirm the successful transient transfection of NS5A expression plasmid. Immunofluorescene was performed to observe if there was any difference in IFNα-induced STAT1 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation between HCV NS5A-expressed and non-HCV NS5A-expressed cells. Western blot was used to compare the phosphorylated STAT1 protein of the cells. RESULTS: Expression of HCV NS5A was found in the cytoplasm of PCNS5A-transfected Huh7 cells, but not in the PRC/ CMV transfected or non-transfected cells. STAT1 Tyr701 phosphorylation was found strongest in 30 min of IFN induction. STAT1 phosphorylation and nuclear import were much less in the presence of HCV NS5A protein in contrast to PRC/CMV-transfected and non-transfected cells under fluorescent microscopy, which was further confirmed by Western blot. CONCLUSION: HCV NS5A expression plasmid is successfully transfected into Huh7 cells and HCV NS5A protein is expressed in the cytoplasm of the cells. IFN-α is able to induce STAT1 phosphrylation and nuclear translocation, and this effect is inhibited by HCV NS5Aprotein, which might be another possible resistance mechanism to interferon alpha therapy.展开更多
Site-specifc recognition modules with DNA nuclease have tremendous potential as molecular tools for genome targeting.The type III transcription activator-like effectors(TALEs)contain a DNA binding domain consisting of...Site-specifc recognition modules with DNA nuclease have tremendous potential as molecular tools for genome targeting.The type III transcription activator-like effectors(TALEs)contain a DNA binding domain consisting of tandem repeats that can be engineered to bind user-defned specifc DNA sequences.We demonstrated that customized TALE-based nucleases(TALENs),constructed using a method called"unit assembly",specifcally target the endogenous FRIGIDA gene in Brassica oleracea L.var.capitata L.The results indicate that the TALENs bound to the target site and cleaved double-strand DNA in vitro and in vivo,whereas the effector binding elements have a 23 bp spacer.The T7 endonuclease I assay and sequencing data show that TALENs made double-strand breaks,which were repaired by a non-homologous end-joining pathway within the target sequence.These data show the feasibility of applying customized TALENs to target and modify the genome with deletions in those organisms that are still in lacking gene target methods to provide germplasms in breeding improvement.展开更多
基金Ningxia Medical University Project,No. XZ2021005Ningxia Natural Science Foundation,Nos. 2022AAC03144 and 2022AAC02039National Natural Science Foundation of China,No. 82260879
文摘BACKGROUND Gastric cancer(GC)is one of the most common cancer types worldwide,and its prevention and treatment methods have garnered much attention.As the active ingredient of licorice,18β-glycyrrhetinic acid(18β-GRA)has a variety of pharmacological effects.The aim of this study was to explore the effective target of 18β-GRA in the treatment of GC,in order to provide effective ideas for the clinical prevention and treatment of GC.AIM To investigate the mechanism of 18β-GRA in inhibiting cell proliferation and promoting autophagy flux in GC cells.METHODS Whole transcriptomic analyses were used to analyze and screen differentially expressed microRNAs(miRNAs)in GC cells after 18β-GRA intervention.Lentivirus-transfected GC cells and the Cell Counting Kit-8 were used to detect cell proliferation ability,cell colony formation ability was detected by the clone formation assay,and flow cytometry was used to detect the cell cycle and apoptosis.A nude mouse transplantation tumor model of GC cells was constructed to verify the effect of miR-328-3p overexpression on the tumorigenicity of GC cells.Tumor tissue morphology was observed by hematoxylin and eosin staining,and microtubule-associated protein light chain 3(LC3)expression was detected by immunohistochemistry.TransmiR,STRING,and miRWalk databases were used to predict the relationship between miR-328-3p and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3)-related information.Expression of STAT3 mRNA and miR-328-3p was detected by quantitative polymerase chain reaction(qPCR)and the expression levels of STAT3,phosphorylated STAT3(p-STAT3),and LC3 were detected by western blot analysis.The targeted relationship between miR-328-3p and STAT3 was detected using the dual-luciferase reporter gene system.AGS cells were infected with monomeric red fluorescent protein-green fluorescent protein-LC3 adenovirus double label.LC3 was labeled and autophagy flow was observed under a confocal laser microscope.RESULTS The expression of miR-328-3p was significantly upregulated after 18β-GRA intervention in AGS cells(P=4.51E-06).Overexpression of miR-328-3p inhibited GC cell proliferation and colony formation ability,arrested the cell cycle in the G0/G1 phase,promoted cell apoptosis,and inhibited the growth of subcutaneous tumors in BALB/c nude mice(P<0.01).No obvious necrosis was observed in the tumor tissue in the negative control group(no drug intervention or lentivirus transfection)and vector group(the blank vector for lentivirus transfection),and more cells were loose and necrotic in the miR-328-3p group.Bioinformatics tools predicted that miR-328-3p has a targeting relationship with STAT3,and STAT3 was closely related to autophagy markers such as p62.After overexpressing miR-328-3p,the expression level of STAT3 mRNA was significantly decreased(P<0.01)and p-STAT3 was downregulated(P<0.05).The dual-luciferase reporter gene assay showed that the luciferase activity of miR-328-3p and STAT33’untranslated regions of the wild-type reporter vector group was significantly decreased(P<0.001).Overexpressed miR-328-3p combined with bafilomycin A1(Baf A1)was used to detect the expression of LC3 II.Compared with the vector group,the expression level of LC3 II in the overexpressed miR-328-3p group was downregulated(P<0.05),and compared with the Baf A1 group,the expression level of LC3 II in the overexpressed miR-328-3p+Baf A1 group was upregulated(P<0.01).The expression of LC3 II was detected after intervention of 18β-GRA in GC cells,and the results were consistent with the results of miR-328-3p overexpression(P<0.05).Additional studies showed that 18β-GRA promoted autophagy flow by promoting autophagosome synthesis(P<0.001).qPCR showed that the expression of STAT3 mRNA was downregulated after drug intervention(P<0.05).Western blot analysis showed that the expression levels of STAT3 and p-STAT3 were significantly downregulated after drug intervention(P<0.05).CONCLUSION 18β-GRA promotes the synthesis of autophagosomes and inhibits GC cell proliferation by regulating the miR-328-3p/STAT3 signaling pathway.
基金supported by Ministry of Science and Technology of China [No.2021YFA0910700,2021YFF1200500,2020YFA0907101]the Natural Science Foundation of China [No.12090050,12090054,32071412]+1 种基金the Chinese Academy of Sciences [No.QYZDB-SSW-SMC050]CAS Youth Interdisciplinary Team and the Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Committee [No.JCYJ20180507182241844,JCHZ20200005,DWKF20190009].
文摘Cooperative activation is critical for the applications of synthetic biology in mammalian cells.In this study,we have developed cooperative transcription factor by fusing oligomerization domain in mammalian cells.Firstly,we demonstrated that two oligomerized domains(CI434 and CI)successfully improved transcription factor cooperativity in bacterial cells but failed to increase cooperativity in mammalian cells,possibly because the additional mammalian activation domain disrupted their oligomerization capability.Therefore,we chose a different type of oligomerized domain(CarHC),whose ability to oligomerize is not dependent on its C-terminal domains,to fuse with a transcription factor(RpaR)and activation domain(VTR3),forming a potential cooperative transcription activator RpaR-CarH-VTR3 for mammalian regulatory systems.Compared with RpaR-VTR3,the cooperativity of RpaR-CarH-VTR3 was significantly improved with higher Hill coefficient and a narrower input range in the inducible switch system in mammalian cells.Moreover,a mathematical model based on statistical mechanics model was developed and the simulation results supported the hypothesis that the tetramer of the CarH domain in mammalian cells was the reason for the cooperative capacity of RpaR-CarH-VTR3.
基金supported by the Project from the Ministry of Agriculture of China for Transgenic Research(2014ZX0800927B)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31871667).
文摘Drought stress impairs crop growth and development.BEL1-like family transcription factors may be involved in plant response to drought stress,but little is known of the molecular mechanism by which these proteins regulate plant response and defense to drought stress.Here we show that the BEL1-like transcription factor GhBLH5-A05 functions in cotton(Gossypium hirsutum)response and defense to drought stress.Expression of GhBLH5-A05 in cotton was induced by drought stress.Overexpression of GhBLH5-A05 in both Arabidopsis and cotton increased drought tolerance,whereas silencing GhBLH5-A05 in cotton resulted in elevated sensitivity to drought stress.GhBLH5-A05 binds to cis elements in the promoters of GhRD20-A09 and GhDREB2C-D05 to activate the expression of these genes.GhBLH5-A05 interacted with the KNOX transcription factor GhKNAT6-A03.Co-expression of GhBLH5-A05 and GhKNAT6-A03 increased the transcription of GhRD20-A09 and GhDREB2C-D05.We conclude that GhBLH5-A05 acts as a regulatory factor with GhKNAT6-A03 functioning in cotton response to drought stress by activating the expression of the drought-responsive genes GhRD20-A09 and GhDREB2C-D05.
基金supported by grants from Natural Science Foundation Key Program of Fujian Province(2023J02011)National Natural Science Foundation of China(31970281,31671668)+1 种基金a Sino-German Mobility Program funded jointly by National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaGerman Research Foundation(M-0275).
文摘Transcription factors(TFs)play essential roles in transcriptional reprogramming during activation of plant immune responses to pathogens.OsSPL10(SQUAMOSA promoter binding protein-like10)is an important TF regulating trichome development and salt tolerance in rice.Here we report that knockout of OsSPL10 reduces whereas its overexpression enhances rice resistance to blast disease.OsSPL10 positively regulates chitin-induced immune responses including reactive oxygen species(ROS)burst and callose deposition.We show that OsSPL10 physically associates with OsJAmyb,an important TF involved in jasmonic acid(JA)signaling,and positively regulates its protein stability.We then prove that OsJAmyb positively regulates resistance to blast.Our results reveal a molecular module consisting of OsSPL10 and OsJAmyb that positively regulates blast resistance.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2022YFD2301100 and 2019YFD1000503)the Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Province(2021J01137)+1 种基金the Special Fund for Science and Technology Innovation of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University(CXZX2020081A)the China Agriculture Research System(CARS-17).
文摘WRKY transcription factors,transcriptional regulators unique to plants,play an important role in defense response to pathogen infection.However,the resistance mechanisms of WRKY genes in sugarcane remain unclear.In the present study,gene ontology(GO)enrichment analysis revealed that WRKY gene family in sugarcane was extensively involved in the response to biotic stress and in defense response.We identified gene ScWRKY4,a classⅡc member of the WRKY gene family,in sugarcane cultivar ROC22.This gene was induced by salicylic acid(SA)and methyl jasmonate(MeJA)stress.Interestingly,expression of ScWRKY4 was down-regulated in smut-resistant sugarcane cultivars but up-regulated in smutsusceptible sugarcane cultivars infected with Sporisorium scitamineum.Moreover,stable overexpression of the ScWRKY4 gene in Nicotiana benthamiana enhanced susceptibility to Fusarium solani var.coeruleum and caused down-regulated expression of immune marker-related genes.Transcriptome analysis indicated suppressed expression of most JAZ genes in the signal transduction pathway.ScWRKY4 interacted with ScJAZ13 to repress its expression.We thus hypothesized that the ScWRKY4 gene was involved in the regulatory network of plant disease resistance,most likely through the JA signaling pathway.The present study depicting the molecular involvement of ScWRKY4 in sugarcane disease resistance lays a foundation for future investigation.
基金supported by Guangdong Provincial Basic and Applied Basic Research Fund,No.2021A1515011299(to KT)。
文摘Glutamatergic projection neurons generate sophisticated excitatory circuits to integrate and transmit information among different cortical areas,and between the neocortex and other regions of the brain and spinal cord.Appropriate development of cortical projection neurons is regulated by certain essential events such as neural fate determination,proliferation,specification,differentiation,migration,survival,axonogenesis,and synaptogenesis.These processes are precisely regulated in a tempo-spatial manner by intrinsic factors,extrinsic signals,and neural activities.The generation of correct subtypes and precise connections of projection neurons is imperative not only to support the basic cortical functions(such as sensory information integration,motor coordination,and cognition)but also to prevent the onset and progression of neurodevelopmental disorders(such as intellectual disability,autism spectrum disorders,anxiety,and depression).This review mainly focuses on the recent progress of transcriptional regulations on the development and diversity of neocortical projection neurons and the clinical relevance of the failure of transcriptional modulations.
基金funded by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2022YFD1201600)the earmarked fund for the China Agriculture Research System(CARS-26)+1 种基金the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities,China(SWU-XDJH202308)the Science and Technology Research Program of Chongqing Municipal Education Commission,China(KJQN202001418)。
文摘One of the main diseases that adversely impacts the global citrus industry is citrus bacterial canker(CBC),caused by the bacteria Xanthomonas citri subsp.citri(Xcc).Response to CBC is a complex process,with both proteinDNA as well as protein–protein interactions for the regulatory network.To detect such interactions in CBC resistant regulation,a citrus high-throughput screening system with 203 CBC-inducible transcription factors(TFs),were developed.Screening the upstream regulators of target by yeast-one hybrid(Y1H)methods was also performed.A regulatory module of CBC resistance was identified based on this system.One TF(CsDOF5.8)was explored due to its interactions with the 1-kb promoter fragment of CsPrx25,a resistant gene of CBC involved in reactive oxygen species(ROS)homeostasis regulation.Electrophoretic mobility shift assay(EMSA),dual-LUC assays,as well as transient overexpression of CsDOF5.8,further validated the interactions and transcriptional regulation.The CsDOF5.8–CsPrx25 promoter interaction revealed a complex pathway that governs the regulation of CBC resistance via H2O2homeostasis.The high-throughput Y1H/Y2H screening system could be an efficient tool for studying regulatory pathways or network of CBC resistance regulation.In addition,it could highlight the potential of these candidate genes as targets for efforts to breed CBC-resistant citrus varieties.
基金supported by the Ministerio de Economía,Industria y Competitividad(Agencia Estatal de Investigación,AEI,to CGF and MP)Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional(MINECO-FEDER)(PID2022-139016OA-I00,PDC2022-133441-I00,to CGF and MP),Generalitat de Catalunya(2021 SGR 00357+3 种基金to CGF and MP)co-financed by Secretaria d’Universitats i Recerca del Departament d’Empresai Coneixement de la Generalitat de Catalunya 2021(Llavor 00086,to CGF)the recipient of an Alzheimer’s Association Research Fellowship(AARF-21-848511)the Agència de Gestiód’Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca(AGAUR)for her FI-SDUR fellowship(2021FISDU 00182).
文摘Dysregulation of G9a,a histone-lysine N-methyltransferase,has been observed in Alzheimer’s disease and has been correlated with increased levels of chronic inflammation and oxidative stress.Likewise,microRNAs are involved in many biological processes and diseases playing a key role in pathogenesis,especially in multifactorial diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease.Therefore,our aim has been to provide partial insights into the interconnection between G9a,microRNAs,oxidative stress,and neuroinflammation.To better understand the biology of G9a,we compared the global microRNA expression between senescence-accelerated mouse-prone 8(SAMP8)control mice and SAMP8 treated with G9a inhibitor UNC0642.We found a downregulation of miR-128 after a G9a inhibition treatment,which interestingly binds to the 3′untranslated region(3′-UTR)of peroxisome-proliferator activator receptor γ(PPARG)mRNA.Accordingly,Pparg gene expression levels were higher in the SAMP8 group treated with G9a inhibitor than in the SAMP8 control group.We also observed modulation of oxidative stress responses might be mainly driven Pparg after G9a inhibitor.To confirm these antioxidant effects,we treated primary neuron cell cultures with hydrogen peroxide as an oxidative insult.In this setting,treatment with G9a inhibitor increases both cell survival and antioxidant enzymes.Moreover,up-regulation of PPARγby G9a inhibitor could also increase the expression of genes involved in DNA damage responses and apoptosis.In addition,we also described that the PPARγ/AMPK axis partially explains the regulation of autophagy markers expression.Finally,PPARγ/GADD45αpotentially contributes to enhancing synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis after G9a inhibition.Altogether,we propose that pharmacological inhibition of G9a leads to a neuroprotective effect that could be due,at least in part,by the modulation of PPARγ-dependent pathways by miR-128.
文摘Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus(KSHV)is γ-2 herpesvirus with latency and lytic replication stages in its life-cycle.The viral replication and transcription activator(RTA)is the key protein for triggering KSHV lytic gene expression and replication from latency.In this review,we will discuss the gene expression program in KSHV lytic replication and latency,the regulation of the RTA expression,the RTA protein and the mechanisms that RTA utilizes to transactivate its target genes.We will focus on the RTA-mediated transactivation mechanisms,including DNA-binding,interacting with cellular co-factors and promoting repressor degradation.
基金Work on this topic in the authors’laboratories is supported by grants from:the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(number XDA01020106)the Ministry of Science and Technology of China 973 program(2011CB965200)+2 种基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(81261130317)to MAEthe Bureau of Science,Technology and Information of Guangzhou Municipality(2012 J5100040)to MAE and JFgrants 2010U1-E00811-5 and ZNGI-2011-010 from the Guangzhou Municipality and the Chinese Academy of Sciences,respectively,to LL.
文摘Zinc-finger nucleases and transcription activator-like effector nucleases are novel gene-editing platformscontributing to redefine the boundaries of modern biological research. They are composed of a non-specificcleavage domain and a tailor made DNA-binding module, which enables a broad range of genetic modifications byinducing efficient DNA double-strand breaks at desired loci. Among other remarkable uses, these nucleases havebeen employed to produce gene knockouts in mid-size and large animals, such as rabbits and pigs, respectively.This approach is cost effective, relatively quick, and can produce invaluable models for human disease studies,biotechnology or agricultural purposes. Here we describe a protocol for the efficient generation of knockout rabbitsusing transcription activator-like effector nucleases, and a perspective of the field.
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.30930013
文摘Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3), a member of the STAT family, is a key regulator of many physiological and pathological processes. Significant progress has been made in understanding the transcriptional control, posttranslational modification, cellular localization and functional regulation of STAT3. STAT3 can translocate into the nucleus and bind to specific promoter sequences, thereby exerting transcriptional regulation. Recent studies have shown that STAT3 can also translocate into mitochondria, participating in aerobic respiration and apoptosis. In addition, STAT3 plays an important role in inflammation and tumorigenesis by regulating cell proliferation, differentiation and metabolism. Conditional knockout mouse models make it possible to study the physiological function of STAT3 in specific tissues and organs. This review summarizes the latest advances in the understanding of the expression, regulation and function of STAT3 in physiological and tumorigenic processes.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.81070319the Beijing Natural Science Foundation of China,No.7102013the Beijing Municipal Education Commission Research Program,China,No.KM201610025004
文摘BACKGROUND Study shows that signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3) can increase the Warburg effect by stimulating hexokinase 2 in breast cancer and upregulate lactate dehydrogenase A and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 in myeloma. STAT3 and pyruvate kinase M2(PKM2) can also be activated and enhance the Warburg effect in hepatocellular carcinoma. Precancerous lesions are critical to human and rodent hepatocarcinogenesis. However, the underlying molecular mechanism for the development of liver precancerous lesions remains unknown. We hypothesized that STAT3 promotes the Warburg effect possibly by upregulating p-PKM2 in liver precancerous lesions in rats.AIM To investigate the mechanism of the Warburg effect in liver precancerous lesions in rats.METHODS A model of liver precancerous lesions was established by a modified Solt-Farber method. The liver pathological changes were observed by HE staining and immunohistochemistry. The transformation of WB-F344 cells induced with Nmethyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine and hydrogen peroxide was evaluated by the soft agar assay and aneuploidy. The levels of glucose and lactate in the tissue and culture medium were detected with a spectrophotometer. The protein levels of glutathione S-transferase-π, proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA), STAT3,and PKM2 were examined by Western blot and immunofluorescence.RESULTS We found that the Warburg effect was increased in liver precancerous lesions in rats. PKM2 and p-STAT3 were upregulated in activated oval cells in liverprecancerous lesions in rats. The Warburg effect, p-PKM2, and p-STAT3 expression were also increased in transformed WB-F344 cells. STAT3 activation promoted the clonal formation rate, aneuploidy, alpha-fetoprotein expression,PCNA expression, G1/S phase transition, the Warburg effect, PKM2 phosphorylation, and nuclear translocation in transformed WB-F344 cells.Moreover, the Warburg effect was inhibited by stattic, a specific inhibitor of STAT3, and further reduced in transformed WB-F344 cells after the intervention for PKM2.CONCLUSION The Warburg effect is initiated in liver precancerous lesions in rats. STAT3 activation promotes the Warburg effect by enhancing the phosphorylation of PKM2 in transformed WB-F344 cells.
文摘Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDAC) remains a deadly disease with no efficacious treatment options. PDAC incidence is projected to increase, which may be caused at least partially by the obesity epidemic. Significantly enhanced efforts to prevent or intercept this cancer are clearly warranted. Oncogenic KRAS mutations are recognized initiating events in PDAC development, however, they are not entirely sufficient for the development of fully invasive PDAC.Additional genetic alterations and/or environmental, nutritional, and metabolic signals, as present in obesity, type-2 diabetes mellitus, and inflammation, are required for full PDAC formation. We hypothesize that oncogenic KRAS increases the intensity and duration of the growth-promoting signaling network.Recent exciting studies from different laboratories indicate that the activity of the transcriptional co-activators Yes-associated protein(YAP) and WW-domaincontaining transcriptional co-activator with PDZ-binding motif(TAZ) play a critical role in the promotion and maintenance of PDAC operating as key downstream target of KRAS signaling. While initially thought to be primarily an effector of the tumor-suppressive Hippo pathway, more recent studies revealed that YAP/TAZ subcellular localization and co-transcriptional activity is regulated by multiple upstream signals. Overall, YAP has emerged as a central node of transcriptional convergence in growth-promoting signaling in PDAC cells. Indeed, YAP expression is an independent unfavorable prognostic marker for overall survival of PDAC. In what follows, we will review studies implicating YAP/TAZ in pancreatic cancer development and consider different approaches to target these transcriptional regulators.
基金the Program of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang City, No. SH2006019
文摘AIM:To investigate the roles and mechanism of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in invasion of human colon cancer cells by RNA interference. METHODS: Small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) was transfected into HT29 colon cancer cells. STAT3 protein level and DNA-binding activity of STAT3 was evaluated by western blotting and electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), respectively. We studied the anchorage-independent growth using colony formation in soft agar, and invasion using the boyden chamber model, anoikis using DNA fragmentation assay and terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL), respectively. Western blot assay was used to observe the protein expression of Bcl-xL and survivin in colon cancer HT29 cells. RESULTS: RNA interference (RNAi) mediated by siRNA leads to suppression of STAT3 expression in colon cancer cell lines. Suppression of STAT3 expression by siRNA could inhibit anchorage-independent growth, and invasion ability, and induces anoikis in the colon cancer cell line HT29. It has been shown that knockdown of STAT3 expression by siRNA results in a reduction in expression of Bcl-xL and survivin in HT29 cells. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that STAT3 siRNA can inhibit the invasion ability of colon cancer cells through inducing anoikis, which antiapoptotic genes survivin and Bcl-xL contribute to regulation of anoikis.These studies indicate STAT3 siRNA could be a useful therapeutic tool for the treatment of colon cancer.
基金Supported by The Science and Technology Fund of Jilin Province,No. 200505219
文摘AIM:To explore the effect of silencing of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3) expression by RNA interference(RNAi) on growth of human hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) in tumor-bearing nude mice in vivo.METHODS:To construct the recombinant plasmid of pSilencer 3.0-H1-STAT3-siRNA-GFP(pSH1-siRNA-STAT3) and establish the tumor-bearing nude mouse model of the HCC cell line SMMC7721,we used intratumoral injection together with electroblotting to transfect the recombinant plasmid pSH1-siRNA-STAT3 into the transplanted tumor.The weight of the nude mice and tumor volumes were recorded.STAT3 gene transcription was detected by semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(RTPCR).Level of protein expression and location of STAT3 were determined by Western blotting and immunohistochemical staining.STAT3-related genes such as survivin,c-myc,VEGF,p53 and caspase3 mRNA and protein expression were detected in tumor tissues at the same time.The terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling(TUNEL) assay was used to detect apoptosis of tumor cells.RESULTS:The weight of the treated nude mice increased,and the tumor volume decreased markedly compared with those of the mock-treated and negative control groups(P < 0.01).The results of RT-PCR and Western blotting showed that mRNA and protein levels of STAT3 declined markedly in the treated group.The change in STAT3-related gene expression in tumor tissues at the mRNA and protein level also varied,the expression of survivin,VEGF and c-myc were obviously reduced,and expression of p53 and caspase3 increased(P < 0.01).Most of the tumor tissue cells in the treated group developed apoptosis that was detected by TUNEL assay.CONCLUSION:Silencing of STAT3 expression by RNAi significantly inhibits expression of STAT3 mRNA and protein,and suppresses growth of human HCC in tumor-bearing nude mice.The mechanism may be related to down-regulation of survivin,VEGF and c-myc and up-regulation of p53 and caspase3 expression.Accordingly,the STAT3 gene may act as an important and effective target in gene therapy of HCC.
文摘Signal transducers and activators of transcription(STATs) mediate essential signals for various biological processes,including immune responses,hematopoiesis,and neurogenesis. STAT3,for example,is involved in the pathogenesis of various human diseases,including cancers,autoimmune and inflammatory disorders. STAT3 activation is therefore tightly regulated at multiple levels to prevent these pathological conditions. A number of proteins have been reported to associate with STAT3 and regulate its activity. These STAT3-interacting proteins function to modulate STAT3-mediated signaling at various steps and mediate the crosstalk of STAT3 with other cellular signaling pathways. This article reviews the roles of novel STAT3 binding partners such as DAXX,zipperinteracting protein kinase,Krüppel-associated box-associated protein 1,Y14,PDZ and LIM domain 2 and signal transducing adaptor protein-2,in the regulation of STAT3-mediated signaling.
文摘Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most common cancers worldwide,and a leading cause of cancer-related death.Owing to unsatisfactory clinical outcomes under the current standard of care,there is a need to search for and identify novel and potent therapeutic targets to improve patient outcomes.Sorafenib is the first and only approved targeted therapy for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.Besides functioning as a multiple tyrosine kinase,sorafenib also acts via a kinase-independent mechanism to target signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3) signaling in hepatocellular carcinoma cells.STAT3 is a key regulator of inflammation,cell survival,and tumorigenesis of liver cells,and the high percentage of hepatocellular carcinoma cells with constitutively active STAT3 justifies targeting it for the development of novel therapeutics.Sorafenib inactivates STAT3 and STAT3-related signaling by inducing a conformational change in and releasing the autoinhibition of Src homology region 2 domaincontaining phosphatase-1.This phosphatase negatively regulates STAT3 activity,which leads to the subsequent apoptosis of cancer cells.The novel anti-cancer property of sorafenib will be discussed in this review,not only adding information regarding its mechanism of action but also providing an innovative approach for the development of cancer therapeutics in the future.
文摘WRKY family proteins are a class of plant specific transcription factors that involve in many stress response pathways. It has been shown that one Arabidopsis WRKY protein, AtWRKY29/22, is activated by MAP kinase signaling cascade and confers resistance to both bacterial and fungal pathogens. However, little is known about the biological roles of WRKY proteins in rice. In this study, we investigated the expression patterns of rice AtWRKY29/22 homolog, OsWRKY03, under different conditions, and also its possible role involved in plant defense. Our results showed that OsWRKY03 was up-regulated by several defense signaling molecules or different treatments. Further analysis revealed that the expres- sion of OsWRKY03 was light dependent. Transcriptional activation activity of OsWRKY03 was also demonstrated by yeast functional assay. Transient expression of OsWRKY03-GFP fusion protein in onion epidermis cells showed that OsWRKY03 was a nuclear localized protein. OsNPR1 as well as several other pathogenesis-related genes, such as OsPR1b, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (ZB8) and peroxidase (POX22.3), were induced in OsWRKY03-overexpressing transgenic plants. These results indicated that OsWRKY03 is located upstream of OsNPR1 as a transcriptional activator in salicylic acid (SA)-dependent or jasmonic acid (JA)-dependent defense signaling cascades.
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaNo. 39670671, No. 30471531
文摘AIM: To study the effect of Hepatitis C virus non- structural 5A (HCV NS5A) on IFNα induced signal transducer and activator of transcription-1 (STAT1) phosphorylation and nuclear translocation. METHODS: Expression of STAT1 Tyr701 phosphorylation at different time points was confirmed by Western blot, and the time point when p-STAT1 expressed most, was taken as the IFN induction time for further studies. Immunocytochemistry was used to confirm the successful transient transfection of NS5A expression plasmid. Immunofluorescene was performed to observe if there was any difference in IFNα-induced STAT1 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation between HCV NS5A-expressed and non-HCV NS5A-expressed cells. Western blot was used to compare the phosphorylated STAT1 protein of the cells. RESULTS: Expression of HCV NS5A was found in the cytoplasm of PCNS5A-transfected Huh7 cells, but not in the PRC/ CMV transfected or non-transfected cells. STAT1 Tyr701 phosphorylation was found strongest in 30 min of IFN induction. STAT1 phosphorylation and nuclear import were much less in the presence of HCV NS5A protein in contrast to PRC/CMV-transfected and non-transfected cells under fluorescent microscopy, which was further confirmed by Western blot. CONCLUSION: HCV NS5A expression plasmid is successfully transfected into Huh7 cells and HCV NS5A protein is expressed in the cytoplasm of the cells. IFN-α is able to induce STAT1 phosphrylation and nuclear translocation, and this effect is inhibited by HCV NS5Aprotein, which might be another possible resistance mechanism to interferon alpha therapy.
基金supported by grants from the National Basic Research Program of China (973 program, 2012CB113900)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31071802)the Chongqing Natural Science Foundation (2011BA1002)
文摘Site-specifc recognition modules with DNA nuclease have tremendous potential as molecular tools for genome targeting.The type III transcription activator-like effectors(TALEs)contain a DNA binding domain consisting of tandem repeats that can be engineered to bind user-defned specifc DNA sequences.We demonstrated that customized TALE-based nucleases(TALENs),constructed using a method called"unit assembly",specifcally target the endogenous FRIGIDA gene in Brassica oleracea L.var.capitata L.The results indicate that the TALENs bound to the target site and cleaved double-strand DNA in vitro and in vivo,whereas the effector binding elements have a 23 bp spacer.The T7 endonuclease I assay and sequencing data show that TALENs made double-strand breaks,which were repaired by a non-homologous end-joining pathway within the target sequence.These data show the feasibility of applying customized TALENs to target and modify the genome with deletions in those organisms that are still in lacking gene target methods to provide germplasms in breeding improvement.
