Fibroblast growth factor 9 promotes kidney cell proliferation via WNT signaling-mediated activation of ANXA4

Fibroblast growth factors(FGFs)play pivotal roles in cell migration and proliferation.However,the identity of the FGF that plays a dominant role in kidney cell proliferation remains unclear.Therefore,in this study,we investigated the dominant FGF among all FGFs.To this end,RNA-sequencing,qRT-PCR,western blotting,and ChIP assays were performed.FGF9 showed the highest expression among all FGFs,and its overexpression significantly promoted proliferation in the mouse kidney cell line C57BL/6 and increased JNK and AKT phosphorylation levels.Further,RNA-seq analysis identified 365 upregulated and 276 downregulated genes in FGF9-overexpressed cells.These differentially expressed genes were classified primarily into 20 biological pathways and were enriched in 31 gene ontology terms.qRT-PCR revealed that the expression of WNT and NF-κB signaling genes,as well as ANXA4 expression patterns,correlated with the RNA-seq data,while FGF9-overexpressed cells accumulated moreβ-catenin,a key WNT signaling protein,compared to control cells.Moreover,downregulation of the gene that encodesβ-catenin or ANXA4 inhibited C57BL/6 cell proliferation.Additionally,the expression of ANXA4 was lower in CTNNB1-knockdown cells than in the control group.Additionally,the ChIP assay revealed that a transcription factor complex containing TCF4 andβ-catenin directly binds to the ANXA4 promoter.Taken together,these results suggest a role of FGF9 in the regulation of kidney cell migration.These findings may prove useful in the development of future therapies.

Composition and phase structure dependence of mechanical and magnetic properties for AlCoCuFeNi_x high entropy alloys

In this study, the effects of composition and phase constitution on the mechanical properties and magnetic performance of AlCoCuFeNix(x = 0.5, 0.8, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 3.0 in molar ratio) high entropy alloys(HEAs)were investigated. The results show that Ni element could lead to the evolution from face centered cubic(FCC), body centered cubic(BCC) and ordered BCC coexisting phase structure to a single FCC phase. The change of phase constitution enhances the plasticity but reduces the hardness and strength. One of the interesting points is the excellent soft magnetic properties of AlCoCuFeNixHEAs. Soft magnetic performance is dependent on composition and phase transition. AlCoCuFeNi1.5 alloy, achieving a better balance of mechanical and magnetic properties, could be applied as structure materials and soft magnetic materials(SMMs). High Curie temperature(>900 K) and strong phase stability below 1350 K of AlCoCuFeNi0.5 alloy confirm its practicability in a high-temperature environment. Atomic size difference(δ) is utilized as the critical parameter to explain the lattice strain and phase transformation induced by Ni addition.