Lentivirual vector-mediated doxycycline-inducible iASPP gene targeted RNA interference in hepatocellular carcinoma

Background and Objective:iASPP, an inhibitory member of the apoptosis-stimulating proteins of p53 (ASPP) family, has been found to be up-regulated in various human tumor types.This study was to construct an efficient doxycycline-regulated, lentiviral vector-mediated knockdown system for iASPP that will allow for inducible down-regulation of iASPP gene expression and preliminary functional analysis.Methods:A pair of complementary oligos with hairpin structures targeting the iASPP gene and a negative control were synthesized, then ligated with pLVTHM vector and sequenced.The fragment containing the shRNA cassette was cloned to pLVCT-tTR-KRAB plasmid.The recombinant vectors were co-transfected with viral packaging mix into 293T cells, and viral supernatant was harvested to determine the titer.After treatment with or without doxycycline, HepG2 cells infected with virus were harvested and the expression of iASPP was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot analysis.Its effects on tumor growth were characterized using MTS assay, soft agar colony formation, and flow cytometry analysis.Results:The lentiviral vector expressing shRNA that targets to the oncogene iASPP was constructed successfully.HepG2 infected with the lentivirus expressing shRNA against iASPP inhibited the expression of iASPP in the presence of doxycycline, which resulted in the repression of tumor cell proliferation and anchorage-independent growth potential.Conclusions:The lentiviral vector-mediated tet-on system demonstrates efficient and inducible knockdown of iASPP in hepatocellular carcinoma cells.iASPP gene may be involved in tumorigenesis and progression of human tumors.

A human-specific insertion promotes cell proliferation and migration by enhancing TBC1D8B expression

Human-specific insertions play important roles in human phenotypes and diseases.Here we reported a 446-bp insertion(Insert-446)in intron 11 of the TBC1D8B gene,located on chromosome X,and traced its origin to a portion of intron 6 of the EBF1 gene on chromosome 5.Interestingly,Insert-446 was present in the human Neanderthal and Denisovans genomes,and was fixed in humans after human-chimpanzee divergence.We have demonstrated that Insert-446 acts as an enhancer through binding transcript factors that promotes a higher expression of human TBC1D8B gene as compared with orthologs in macaques.In addition,over-expression TBC1D8B promoted cell proliferation and migration through“a dual finger”catalytic mechanism(Arg538 and Gln573)in the TBC domain in vitro and knockdown of TBC1D8B attenuated tumorigenesis in vivo.Knockout of Insert-446 prevented cell proliferation and migration in cancer and normal cells.Our results reveal that the human-specific Insert-446 promotes cell proliferation and migration by upregulating the expression of TBC1D8B gene.These findings provide a significant insight into the effects of human-specific insertions on evolution.

Plutella xylostella granulovirus late gene promoter activity in the context of the Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus genome

Within Baculoviridae, little is known about the molecular mechanisms of replication in betabaculoviruses, despite extensive studies in alphabaculoviruses. In this study, the promoters of nine late genes of the betabaculovirus Plutella xylostella granulovirus(Plxy GV) were cloned into a transient expression vector and the alphabaculovirus Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus(Ac MNPV) genome, and compared with homologous late gene promoters of Ac MNPV in Sf9 cells. In transient expression assays, all Plxy GV late promoters were activated in cells transfected with the individual reporter plasmids together with an Ac MNPV bacmid. In infected cells, reporter gene expression levels with the promoters of Plxy GV e18 and Ac MNPV vp39 and gp41 were significantly higher than those of the corresponding Ac MNPV or Plxy GV promoters,which had fewer late promoter motifs. Observed expression levels were lower for the Plxy GV p6.9,pk1, gran, p10 a, and p10 b promoters than for the corresponding Ac MNPV promoters, despite equal numbers of late promoter motifs, indicating that species-specific elements contained in some late promoters were favored by the native viral RNA polymerases for optimal transcription. The 8-nt sequence TAAATAAG encompassing the ATAAG motif was conserved in the Ac MNPV polh, p10,and pk1 promoters. The 5-nt sequence CAATT located 4 or 5 nt upstream of the T/ATAAG motif was conserved in the promoters of Plxy GV gran, p10 c, and pk1. The results of this study demonstrated that Plxy GV late gene promoters could be effectively activated by the RNA polymerase from Ac MNPV, implying that late gene expression systems are regulated by similar mechanisms in alphabaculoviruses and betabaculoviruses.

Iterative Learning Control for Discrete Parabolic Distributed Parameter Systems

In this paper, iterative learning control(ILC) technique is applied to a class of discrete parabolic distributed parameter systems described by partial difference equations. A P-type learning control law is established for the system. The ILC of discrete parabolic distributed parameter systems is more complex as 3D dynamics in the time, spatial and iterative domains are involved.To overcome this difficulty, discrete Green formula and analogues discrete Gronwall inequality as well as some other basic analytic techniques are utilized. With rigorous analysis, the proposed intelligent control scheme guarantees the convergence of the tracking error. A numerical example is given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.