Role of Helicobacter pylori virulence factor cytotoxin-associated gene A in gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma

Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)infection might initiate and contribute to the progression of lymphoma from gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue(MALT).Increasing evidence shows that eradication of H.pylori with antibiotic therapy can lead to regression of gastric MALT lymphoma and can result in a 10-year sustained remission.The eradication of H.pylori is the standard care for patients with gastric MALT lymphoma.Cytotoxin-associated gene A(CagA)protein,one of the most extensively studied H.pylori virulence factors,is strongly associated with the gastric MALT lymphoma.CagA possesses polymorphisms according to its C-terminal structure and displays different functions among areas and races.After being translocated into B lymphocytes via typeⅣsecretion system,CagA deregulates intracellular signaling pathways in both tyrosine phosphorylation-dependent and-independent manners and/or some other pathways,and thereby promotes lymphomagenesis.A variety of proteins including p53and protein tyrosine phosphatases-2 are involved in the malignant transformation induced by CagA.Mucosal inflammation is the foundational mechanism underlying the occurrence and development of gastric MALT lymphoma.

Discovering differential protein expression caused by CagA-induced ERK pathway activation in AGS cells using the SELDI-ProteinChip platform

AIM: To identify the protein expression differences related to the CagA-induced ERK pathway activation in AGS cells. METHODS: Human AGS cells transfected with cagA and blank vector were treated with specific mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) inhibitor. Total cell proteins were combined by strong anion exchange (SAX2) and weak cation exchange (CM10) ProteinChip arrays and analyzed using surface-enhanced laser desorption/ ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF-MS) proteomics technology. Protein expression profi les were compared with those of inhibitor-untreated cagA transfectants. SwissProt/TrEMBL database searching for differentially expressed proteins was carried out using the TagIdent tool with the pI and mass information. RESULTS: When a total of 16 proteins that showed expression differences in inhibitor-untreated cagA transfectants were compared with vector transfectants,three proteins with m/z 4229,8162 and 9084 were found to have no expression differences after treatment with MEK inhibitor,while the other 13 maintained the same expression differences after inhibitor treatment. Seven pieces of meaningful matching information for the three proteins were obtained from database searching. CONCLUSION: Biomarkers with m/z 4229,8162 and 9084 are ERK1/2 phosphorylation dependent,and therefore are the downstream molecules of ERK1/2 in the ERK/MAPK signaling pathway. The three biomarkers may be important cancer-associated proteins according to SwissProt/TrEMBL database information.

Screening for metronidazole-resistance associated gene fragments of H pylori by suppression subtractive hybridization

AIM: To screen for metronidazole (MTZ)-resistance associated gene fragments of H pylori by suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH). METHODS: Five MTZ-resistant (tester, T) and 1 MTZ-susceptible (driver, D) clinical H pylori isolates were selected. Genomic DNAs were prepared and submitted to RsaⅠdigestion. Then two different adaptors were ligated respectively to the 5'-end of two aliquots of the tester DNA fragments and SSH was made between the tester and driver DNAs. The specific inserts of tester strains were screened and MTZ-resistance related gene fragments were identified by dot blotting. RESULTS: Among the randomly selected 120 subtractive colonies, 37 DNA fragments had a different number of DNA copies (≥ 2 times) in resistant and susceptible strains and 17 of them had a significantly different number of DNA copies (≥ 3 times). Among the sequences obtained from the 17 DNA fragments, new sequences were found in 10 DNA fragments and duplicated sequences in 7 DNA fragments, representing respectively the sequences of depeptide ABC transporter periplasmic dipeptide-binding protein (dppA), permease protein (dppB), ribosomal protein S4 (rps4), ribonuclease Ⅲ (rnc), protease (pqqE), diaminopimelate epimerase (dapF), acetatekinase (ackA), H pylori plasmid pHP51 and H pylori gene 1334. CONCLUSION: Gene fragments specific to MTZ-resistant H pylori strains can be screened by SSH and may be associated with MTZ-resistant H pylori.

Isolation and Characterization of Radiation-resistant Lung Cancer D6-R Cell Line

Objective To isolate an isogenic radioresistant cancer cell line after fractioned X-ray radiation and characterize the resistant cells. Methods D6 cells were exposed to repeated X-ray irradiation, and after a total dose of 5200 cGy in 8 fractions, a radioresistant monoclone D6-R was obtained. The radiosensitivity and drug sensitivity of the novel radioresistant D6-R cells, together with their parent D6 cells, were measured using clonogenic assay and MTT assay respectively. Cell cycle distribution was analyzed by flow cytometry. Fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry were applied for apoptosis detection Comet assay was used for the detection of DNA damage and repair. Results D6-R cells showed higher and broader initial shoulder （D0=2.08 Gy, Dq=1.64 Gy, N=2.20） than the parent D6 cells （D0=1.84 Gy, Dq=0.34 Gy, N=1.20）. They were 1.65-fold more radioresistant than D6 cells in terms of SF2 （63% vs 38%） and were more resistant to ADM （3.15-fold） and 5-FU （3.86-fold） as compared with the latter. It was found that D6-R cells had higher fractions of cells in S phase （53.4% vs 37.8%） and lower fractions of cells in G1 （44.1% vs 57.2%） and G2-M phase （2.5% vs 5%）. There was no difference in radiation-induced apoptosis between D6-R and D6 cells. D6-R cells showed less initial DNA damage and increased capacity in DNA repair after irradiation, as compared with the parent cells. Conclusions D6-R cells have been isolated by exposing the parental D6 cells to repeated irradiation. The difference in cell cycle pattern together with the induction and repair of DNA damage might, at least partially, explain the mechanism of the radioresistance.

Proteomic analysis of primary colon cancer-associated fibroblasts using the SELDI-ProteinChip platform

Objective: Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are one of the hallmarks of the cancer microenvironment. Recent evidence has indicated that CAFs are more competent in enhancing cancer cell growth and migration than normal fibroblasts. However, the unique protein expression of CAFs has not been fully elucidated. This study aims to investigate the characterizations of colon CAFs by comparing the differential protein expression between CAFs and normal fibroblasts. Methods: Primary fibroblasts were isolated from surgical specimen of human colon cancer and matched normal colonic tissue. Purity of the cell population was verified through immunostain analysis. Total cell lysates and conditioned media from each group of cells were extracted, and protein expression analysis was conducted using the surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF-MS) ProteinChip platform. Results: Most primary cells showed typical fibroblast-like features after two weeks. Increased proportion of α-smooth muscle actin-positive myofibroblasts was detected within the CAFs in four of the six pairs of primary cells. Fibroblast activation protein was weakly expressed in most cells without differences. Using SELDI-TOF-MS ProteinChip platform, four protein peaks mass over charge ratio (m/z) 1142, 3011, 4035, and 4945 were detected in the total cell lysates, and two protein peaks m/z 1368 and 1389 were detected in the conditioned media. The potential candidate proteins found in the Swiss-Prot database include morphogenetic neuropeptides, FMRFamide-related peptides, insulin-like growth factor II, thymosin β-4-like protein 3, and tight junction-associated protein 1. Conclusions: Using the SELDI-ProteinChip platform, differential protein expressions were identified in colon CAFs compared with normal colonic stromal fibroblasts. The complex proteomic alternations in colon CAFs may play important roles related to the colon cancer microenvironment.

ST13,a proliferation regulator,inhibits growth and migration of colorectal cancer cell lines

Background and objective:ST13, is the gene encoding the HSP70 interacting protein (HIP). Previous research has shown that ST13 mRNA and protein levels are down-regulated in colorectal cancer (CRC) tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues. This study aims at the role of ST13 in the proliferation and migration of CRC cells. Methods:The transcript level of ST13 in different CRC cell lines was evaluated by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). ST13-overexpressed and ST13-knockdown CRC cells were constructed respectively by lentiviral transduction, followed by 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, plate colony formation, cell-cycle analysis, and migration assays to evaluate the influence of ST13 on proliferation and migration in vitro. Moreover, a mouse xenograft study was performed to test in vivo tumorigenicity of ST13-knockdown CRC cells. Results: Lentivirus-mediated overexpression of ST13 in CRC cells in-hibited cell proliferation, colony formation, and cell migration in vitro. In contrast, down-regulation of ST13 by lentiviral-based short hairpin RNA (shRNA) interference in CRC cells significantly increased cell proliferation and cloning efficiency in vitro. In addition, down-regulation of ST13 expression significantly increased the tumorigenicity of CRC cells in vivo. Conclusions:ST13 gene is a proliferation regulator that inhibits tumor growth in CRC and may affect cell migration.

Identification of gastric microbiota biomarker for gastric cancer

To the Editor:Gastric cancer(GC)is one of the most commonly diagnosed malignancies worldwide.[1,2]Recent studies show that an aberrant gastric microbiota contributes to the onset and progression of GC.[3]A distinct cluster of bacteria consisting of Peptostreptococcus,Streptococcus,and Parvimonas among others is associated with gastric atrophy and intestinal metaplasia(IM).[4]However,the gastric microbiome is highly dynamic and influenced by several factors,including diet,xenobiotics,proton pump inhibitors,physiological changes,and host genetics.