ATP-binding cassette transporters in progression and clinical outcome of pancreatic cancer: what is the way forward?

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDAC) is one of the most aggressive diseases and is characterized by high chemoresistance, leading to the lack of effective therapeutic approaches and grim prognosis. Despite increasing understanding of the mechanisms of chemoresistance in cancer and the role of ATPbinding cassette(ABC) transporters in this resistance, the therapeutic potential of their pharmacological inhibition has not been successfully exploited yet. In spite of the discovery of potent pharmacological modulators of ABC transporters, the results obtained in clinical trials have been so far disappointing, with high toxicity levels impairing their successful administration to the patients. Critically, although ABC transporters have been mostly studied for their involvement in development of multidrug resistance(MDR), in recent years the contribution of ABC transporters to cancer initiation and progression has emerged as an important area of research, the understanding of which could significantly influence the development of more specific and efficient therapies. In this review, we explore the role of ABC transporters in the development and progression of malignancies, with focus on PDAC. Their established involvement in development of MDR will be also presented. Moreover, an emerging role for ABC transporters as prognostic tools for patients' survival will be discussed, demonstrating the therapeutic potential of ABC transporters in cancer therapy.

Inhibiting NF-κB increases cholesterol efflux from THP-1 derived-foam cells treated with AngⅡ via up-regulating the expression of ATP-binding cassette transporter A1

Objective： To study the role of nuclear factor-kappa B（NF- κB） in cholesterol efflux from THP-1 derived-foam cells treated with Angiotensin Ⅱ（Ang Ⅱ ）. Methods：Cultured THP-1 derived-foam cells were treated with Ang Ⅱ or preincubated with tosyl-phenylalanine chloromethyl-ketone（TPCK） NF- κB inhibitor. The levels of activated NF- κB in the cells were examined by sandwich ELISA, Cellular cholesterol content was studied by electron microscopy scanning and zymochemistry via fluorospectrophotometer and cholesterol effiux was detected by scintillation counting technique. ABCA1 mRNA and protein were quantified by RT-PCR and Western blotting. Results：Addition of TPCK to the cells before Ang Ⅱ stimulation attenuated the response of NF- κB p65 nuclear translocation induced by Ang Ⅱ and showed no peak in foam cells group and caused a reduction in cholesterol content and an increase in cholesterol efflux by 24.1%（P〈 0.05） and 41.1%（P〈 0.05） respectively, when compared with Ang Ⅱ group. In accordance, the ABCA1 mRNA and protein were increased by 30% and 19%（P 〈 0.05） respectively, when compared with Ang Ⅱ group. Conclusion：Ang Ⅱ can downregulate ABCA1 in THP-1 derived-foam cells via NF- K B, which leads to less cholesterol effiux and the increase of cholesterol content with the consequence of the promotion of atherosclerosis.

Novel understanding of ABC transporters ABCB1/MDR/P-glycoprotein, ABCC2/MRP2, and ABCG2/BCRP in colorectal pathophysiology

AIM: To evaluate ATP-binding cassette(ABC) transporters in colonic pathophysiology as they had recently been related to colorectal cancer(CRC) development. METHODS: Literature search was conducted on Pub Med using combinations of the following terms: ABC transporters, ATP binding cassette transporter proteins, inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative, colitis, Crohns disease, colorectal cancer, colitis, intestinal inflammation, intestinal carcinogenesis, ABCB1/P-glycoprotein(P-gp/CD243/MDR1), ABCC2/multidrug resistance protein 2(MRP2) and ABCG2/breast cancer resistance protein(BCRP), Abcb1/Mdr1 a, abcc2/Mrp2, abcg2/Bcrp, knock-out mice, tight junction, membrane lipid function. RESULTS: Recently, human studies reported thatchanges in the levels of ABC transporters were early events in the adenoma-carcinoma sequence leading to CRC. A link between ABCB1, high fat diet and gut microbes in relation to colitis was suggested by the animal studies. The finding that colitis was preceded by altered gut bacterial composition suggests that deletion of Abcb1 leads to fundamental changes of hostmicrobiota interaction. Also, high fat diet increases the frequency and severity of colitis in specific pathogenfree Abcb1 KO mice. The Abcb1 KO mice might thus serve as a model in which diet/environmental factors and microbes may be controlled and investigated in relation to intestinal inflammation. Potential molecular mechanisms include defective transport of inflammatory mediators and/or phospholipid translocation from one side to the other of the cell membrane lipid bilayer by ABC transporters affecting inflammatory response and/or function of tight junctions, phagocytosis and vesicle trafficking. Also, diet and microbes give rise to molecules which are potential substrates for the ABC transporters and which may additionally affect ABC transporter function through nuclear receptors and transcriptional regulation. Another critical role of ABCB1 was suggested by the finding that ABCB1 expression identifies a subpopulation of pro-inflammatory Th17 cells which were resistant to treatment with glucocorticoids. The evidence for the involvement of ABCC2 and ABCG2 in colonic pathophysiology was weak. CONCLUSION: ABCB1, diet, and gut microbes mutually interact in colonic inflammation, a well-known risk factor for CRC. Further insight may be translated into preventive and treatment strategies.

ABC efflux transporters at blood-central nervous system barriers and their implications for treating spinal cord disorders

The barriers present in the interfaces between the blood and the central nervous system form a major hurdle for the pharmacological treatment of central nervous system injuries and diseases.The family of ATP-binding cassette(ABC)transporters has been widely studied regarding efflux of medications at blood-central nervous system barriers.These efflux transporters include P-glycoprotein(abcb1),‘breast cancer resistance protein'(abcg2)and the various‘multidrug resistance-associated proteins'(abccs).Understanding which efflux transporters are present at the blood-spinal cord,blood-cerebrospinal fluid and cerebrospinal fluid-spinal cord barriers is necessary to determine their involvement in limiting drug transfer from blood to the spinal cord tissue.Recent developments in the blood-brain barrier field have shown that barrier systems are dynamic and the profile of barrier defenses can alter due to conditions such as age,disease and environmental challenge.This means that a true understanding of ABC efflux transporter expression and localization should not be one static value but instead a range that represents the complex patient subpopulations that exist.In the present review,the blood-central nervous system barrier literature is discussed with a focus on the impact of ABC efflux transporters on:(i)protecting the spinal cord from adverse effects of systemically directed drugs,and(ii)limiting centrally directed drugs from accessing their active sites within the spinal cord.

High-density lipoprotein and atherosclerosis: Roles of lipid transporters

Various previous studies have found a negative cor-relation between the risk of cardiovascular events and serum high-density lipoprotein(HDL) cholesterol levels. The reverse cholesterol transport, a pathway of choles-terol from peripheral tissue to liver which has several potent antiatherogenic properties. For instance, the particles of HDL mediate to transport cholesterol from cells in arterial tissues, particularly from atherosclerotic plaques, to the liver. Both ATP-binding cassette trans-porters(ABC) A1 and ABCG1 are membrane cholesterol transporters and have been implicated in mediating cholesterol effluxes from cells in the presence of HDL and apolipoprotein A-I, a major protein constituent of HDL. Previous studies demonstrated that ABCA1 and ABCG1 or the interaction between ABCA1 and ABCG1 exerted antiatherosclerotic effects. As a therapeutic approach for increasing HDL cholesterol levels, much focus has been placed on increasing HDL cholesterol levels as well as enhancing HDL biochemical functions. HDL therapies that use injections of reconstituted HDL, apoA-I mimetics, or full-length apoA-I have shown dramatic effectiveness. In particular, a novel apoA-I mi-metic peptide, Fukuoka University ApoA-I Mimetic Pep-tide, effectively removes cholesterol via specific ABCA1 and other transporters, such as ABCG1, and has an an-tiatherosclerotic effect by enhancing the biological func-tions of HDL without changing circulating HDL choles-terol levels. Thus, HDL-targeting therapy has significant atheroprotective potential, as it uses lipid transporter-targeting agents, and may prove to be a therapeutic tool for atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases.

How to overcome ATP-binding cassette drug efflux transporter-mediated drug resistance?

P-glycoprotein(ABCB1),multidrug resistance protein-1(ABCC1)and breast cancer resistance protein(ABCG2)belong to the ATP-binding cassette(ABC)superfamily of proteins that play an important physiological role in protection of the body from toxic xenobiotics and endogenous metabolites.Beyond this,these transporters determine the toxicity profile of many drugs,and confer multidrug resistance(MDR)in cancer cells associated with a poor treatment outcome of cancer patients.It has long been hypothesized that inhibition of ABC drug efflux transporters will increase drug accumulation and thereby overcome MDR,but until now no approved inhibitor of these transporters is available in the clinic.In this review we present molecular strategies to overcome this type of drug resistance and discuss for each of these strategies their promising value or indicate underlying reasons for their limited success.

Efficacy of Shoushen granule on adenosine triphosphate binding cassette transporter A1, proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 and toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor kappa-B signaling pathway in ApoE-knockout mice

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of Shoushen granule, prepared with four Chinese medicinals, on the targeted regulation of adenosine triphosphate binding cassette transporter A1(ABCA1) through proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9(PCSK9) and toll-like receptor 4(TLR4)/nuclear factor kappa-B(NF-κB) signaling pathway to affect atherosclerosis(AS) in ApoE-knockout(ApoE-/-) mice.METHODS: ApoE-/-mice fed with a high-fat diet were used for AS modeling and divided into Model,Shoushen, and Atorvastatin groups. C57 BL/6 J mice at the same age and background strain were included in the Control group. Western blot and immunohistochemistry were used to measure ABCA1, PCSK9, TLR4, and NF-κB protein expression in mouse aortas. Enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay was used to measure mouse serum tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), interleukin-10(IL-10), monocyte chemoattractant protein 1(MCP-1), and intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1) expression. Serum lipid profiles and histopathology were also assessed. Shoushen granule were composed of Heshouwu(Radix Polygoni Multiflori) 15 g, Gouqizi(Fructus Lycii) 15 g, Sheng shanzha(Raw Fructus Crataegus Pinnatifidae) 10 g, and Sanqi(Radix Notoginseng) 3 g.RESULTS: ApoE-/-mice fed with a high-fat diet had notable AS lesions, with reduced ABCA1 and IL-10 levels, elevated PCSK9, TLR4, NF-κB, TNF-α, MCP-1,and ICAM-1 expression, and increased total cholesterol(TC) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C) contents. With drug interventions, the areas of AS plaques were significantly reduced,the ABCA1 and IL-10 levels were increase, while the PCSK9, TLR4, NF-κB, TC, and LDL-C contents,and the TNF-α, MCP-1, and ICAM-1 expression were reduced.CONCLUSION: Shoushen granule effectively interfered with AS development by antagonizing the expression of key factors of the PCSK9 and TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway to upregulate ABCA1 expression.

植物ABC转运蛋白及其在Al胁迫下的功能研究进展

ABC(ATP-Binding Cassette)转运蛋白家族是目前已知最大、功能最广泛的蛋白家族,能利用水解ATP的能量来参与生物体内多种物质的转运,这一基因家族成员在哺乳动物和微生物中已广泛鉴定,在植物中的研究是一个相对较新的研究领域。铝是酸性土壤作物生产的一个主要的限制因素,ABC转运蛋白在植物铝耐受性方面有重要作用。该文主要对ABC转运蛋白的特点、生物学功能及植物ABC转运蛋白在Al胁迫下的作用进行了综述,并分析其存在的问题,展望今后可能开展的研究方向。

Primary analysis and screening of microRNAs in gastric cancer side population cells

AIM: To explore the micro RNA(mi RNA) profiles and to determine the key mi RNAs within the side population(SP) cells of the gastric cancer cell line MKN-45. METHODS: We used fluorescence-activated cell sorting and Hoechst 33342 labeling to obtain SP cells from the human gastric carcinoma cell line MKN-45. The mi RNA expression profiles of the SP and major population(MP) cells were examined using a mi RNA gene chip, and key mi RNAs were obtained according to aberrant expression and the mi RNAs' possible targets as predicted by bioinformatics. RESULTS: Using a significance criterion of a 1.5-fold or greater difference in expression level, we observed an increase in the expression of 34 mi RNAs and a decrease in the expression of 34 mi RNAs when comparing SP to MP cells. Using quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction to test for differentially expressed mi RNAs combined with bioinformatics results, we found that the downregulated mi RNAs, such as hsa-mi R-3175 and hsa-mi R-203, and the upregulated mi RNAs, including hsa-mi R-130 a, hsa-mi R-324-5p, hsa-mi R-34 a, and hsa-mi R-25-star, may be important in maintaining and regulating the characteristics of SP cells. CONCLUSION: There are key mi RNAs expressed within the SP cells of the gastric cancer cell line MKN-45, andinclude hsa-mi R-3175, hsa-mi R-203, hsa-mi R-130 a, hsami R-324-5p, hsa-mi R-34 a, and hsa-mi R-25-star.

New insights into renal lipid dysmetabolism in diabetic kidney disease

Lipid dysmetabolism is one of the main features of diabetes mellitus and manifests by dyslipidemia as well as the ectopic accumulation of lipids in various tissues and organs,including the kidney.Research suggests that impaired cholesterol metabolism,increased lipid uptake or synthesis,increased fatty acid oxidation,lipid droplet accumulation and an imbalance in biologically active sphingolipids(such as ceramide,ceramide-1-phosphate and sphingosine-1-phosphate)contribute to the development of diabetic kidney disease(DKD).Currently,the literature suggests that both quality and quantity of lipids are associated with DKD and contribute to increased reactive oxygen species production,oxidative stress,inflammation,or cell death.Therefore,control of renal lipid dysmetabolism is a very important therapeutic goal,which needs to be archived.This article will review some of the recent advances leading to a better understanding of the mechanisms of dyslipidemia and the role of particular lipids and sphingolipids in DKD.

Role of apolipoproteins,ABCA1 and LCAT in the biogenesis of normal and aberrant high density lipoproteins

In this review, we focus on the pathway of biogenesis of HDL, the essential role of apoA-I, ATP binding cassette transporter A1（ABCA1）, and lecithin： cholesterol acyltransferase（LCAT） in the formation of plasma HDL; the generation of aberrant forms of HDL containing mutant apoA-I forms and the role of apoA-IV and apoE in the formation of distinct HDL subpopulations. The biogenesis of HDL requires functional interactions of the ABCA1 with apoA-I（and to a lesser extent with apoE and apoA-IV） and subsequent interactions of the nascent HDL species thus formed with LCAT. Mutations in apoA-I, ABCA1 and LCAT either prevent or impair the formation of HDL and may also affect the functionality of the HDL species formed. Emphasis is placed on three categories of apoA-I mutations. The first category describes a unique bio-engineered apoA-I mutation that disrupts interactions between apoA-I and ABCA1 and generates aberrant prep HDL subpopulations that cannot be converted efficiently to a subpopulations by LCAT. The second category describes natural and bio-engineered apoA-I mutations that generate preβ and small size a4 HDL subpopulations, and are associated with low plasma HDL levels. These phenotypes can be corrected by excess LCAT. The third category describes bio-engineered apoA-I mutations that induce hypertriglyceridemia that can be corrected by excess lipoprotein lipase and also have defective maturation of HDL.The HDL phenotypes described here may serve in the future for diagnosis, prognoses and potential treatment of abnormalities that affect the biogenesis and functionality of HDL.

Piperine prevents cholesterol gallstones formation in mice

Biliary cholesterol may contribute to the formation of cholesterol gallstones, regulation of these levels could be a useful therapeutic strategy for gallstones disease. Piperine （PA） is a potential cholesterol lowering a- gent. In this study, we assessed the effect and mechanism of PA in preventing cholesterol gallstones formation in- duced by feeding lithogenic diet containing high cholesterol levels to mice. C57BL/6 inbred mice were fed lithogen- ic or chow diets for 10 weeks, with or without PA （ 15, 30 and 60 mg ~ kg-1 ） or ursodeoxycholic acid （ UDCA, 60 mg ~ kg-1） administration. Cholesterol, phospholipids and crystals in bile, the lipid in serum, pathological chan- ges and proteins expression in liver were analyzed. The results showed that PA could decrease the cholesterol poten- cy and crystals in bile, reduce total cholesterol （TC）, triglycerides （TG） and increase high-density lipoprotein / low-density lipoprotein （HDL/LDL） levels in serum. Furthermore, PA treatment reduced liver lipid peroxidation and protected hepatobiliary cells from liver injury by decreasing malondialdehyde （MDA） and increasing superoxide dismutase （SOD）. In addition, PA inhibited the expression of ATP-binding cassette transporters G5/8 （ABCG5/ 8 ） and liver X receptor （LXR） in liver, and reduced cholesterol transport from the hepatocytes to the gallbladder. It may be the mechanism of PA in preventing cholesterol gallstones formation. PA as a potential drug for prevention cholesterol gallstones merits further investigation.

High nuclear ABCG1 expression is a poor predictor for hepatocellular carcinoma patient survival

Background:ATP-binding cassette transporter G1(ABCG1)regulates cellular cholesterol homeostasis and plays a significant role in tumor immunity.But,for hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC),the role of ABCG1 has not been investigated.Thus,the aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value and clinicopathological significance of ABCG1 in HCC.Methods:One hundred and four adult patients with HCC were enrolled,and ABCG1 expression in paired HCC specimens was determined by immunohistochemistry.All these patients were stratified by ABCG1 expression,Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to compare the overall survival(OS)and recurrence-free survival(RFS),and Cox regression analysis was used to determine independent predictors of tumor recurrence.Results:Upregulation of ABCG1 was observed in HCC samples compared to matched tumor-adjacent tissues.Patients with high nuclear ABCG1 expression had lower OS and RFS(P=0.012 and P=0.020,respectively).High nuclear ABCG1 expression was related to larger tumor size(P=0.004)and tumor recurrence(P=0.027).Although ABCG1 was expressed in the cytoplasm,cytosolic expression could not predict the outcome in patients with HCC.A new stratification pattern was established based on the heterogenous ABCG1 expression pattern:high risk(High^(nucleus)/Low^(cytosol)),moderate risk(High^(nucleus)/High^(cytosol) or Low^(nucleus)/Low^(cytosol)),and low risk(Low^(nucleus)/High^(cytosol)).This ABCG1-based risk stratification could distinguish the different OS and RFS in patients with HCC.Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that ABCG1 high risk was an independent predictor of poor RFS(P=0.015).Conclusions:High nuclear ABCG1 expression indicates poor prognosis in patients with HCC.Asymmetric distribution of ABCG1 in the nucleus and cytoplasm may have an important role in tumor recurrence.

Some substrates of P-glycoprotein targeting <i>β</i>-amyloid clearance by quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR)/membrane-interaction (MI)-QSAR analysis

The pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) putatively involves a compromised blood-brain barrier (BBB). In particular, the importance of brain-to-blood transport of brain-derived metabolites across the BBB has gained increasing attention as a potential mechanism in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders such as AD, which is characterized by the aberrant polymerization and accumulation of specific misfolded proteins, particularly β-amyloid (Aβ), a neuropathological hallmark of AD. P-glycoprotein (P-gp), a major component of the BBB, plays a role in the etiology of AD through Aβ clearance from the brain. Our QSAR models on a series of purine-type and propafenone-type substrates of P-gp showed that the interaction between P-gp and its modulators depended on Molar Refractivity, LogP, and Shape Attribute of drugs it transports. Meanwhile, another model on BBB partitioning of some compounds revealed that BBB partitioning relied upon the polar surface area, LogP, Balaban Index, the strength of a molecule combined with the membrane-water complex, and the changeability of the structure of a solute-membrane-water complex. The predictive model on BBB partitioning contributes to the discovery of some molecules through BBB as potential AD therapeutic drugs. Moreover, the interaction model of P-gp and modulators for treatment of multidrug resistance (MDR) indicates the discovery of some molecules to increase Aβ clearance from the brain and reduce Aβ brain accumulation by regulating BBB P-gp in the early stages of AD. The mechanism provides a new insight into the therapeutic strategy for AD.

Regulation of Intestinal Cholesterol Absorption: A Disease Perspective

Hypercholesterolemia promotes atherosclerosis and precise regulation of cholesterol homeostasis is essential. Besides risk factor for cardiovascular disease, abnormalities in cholesterol metabolism have been associated with type 2 diabetes. Cholesterol homeostasis in the body is maintained by de novo synthesis. Furthermore, intestinal cholesterol absorption has recently been considered as an important control point in cholesterol homeostasis. Important insights have been gained into the mechanisms of transport of cholesterol from the intestinal lumen into the enterocytes. Several transporter proteins that appear to be key players in the control of the cholesterol absorption from the intestinal lumen have been identified. Here, we review intestinal cholesterol absorption and the mechanisms underlying alterations in cholesterol absorption under physiological conditions and in diseases such as diabetes mellitus.

The classification of ATP-binding cassette subfamily A member 3 mutations using the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator classification system

Importance: The ATP-binding cassette subfamily A member 3 (ABCA3) protein plays a vital role in surfactant homeostasis. Mutations in the ABCA3 gene lead to the development of interstitial lung disease. In the most severe manifestation, mutations can lead to a fatal respiratory distress syndrome in neonates. ABCA3 belongs to the same ATP-binding cassette transporter superfamily as the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), the gene that causes cystic fibrosis. Objective: To classify ABCA3 mutations in a manner similar to CFTR mutations in order to take advantage of recent advances in therapeutics. Methods: Sequence homology between the CFTR protein and the ABCA3 protein was established. The region of CFTR that is a target for the new potentiator class of drugs was of particular interest. We performed a literature search to obtain all published mutations that were thought to be disease causing. We classified these mutations using the established CFTR classification system. When possible, we drew on previous experimental classification of ABCA3 mutations. Results: Although the proteins share the same overall structure, only a 19％identity was established between CFTR and ABCA3. The CFTR therapeutic target region has a 22％ homology with the corresponding ABCA3 region. Totally 233 unique protein mutations were identified. All protein mutations were classified and mapped to a schematic diagram of the ABCA3 protein. Interpretation: This new classification system for ABCA3, based on CFTR classification, will likely aid further research of clinical outcomes and identification of mutation-tailored therapeutics, with the aim for improving clinical care for patients with ABCA3 mutations.

Protective Effect of Irbesartan on ATP Binding Cassette Transporter A1 in THP-1 Derived Macrophages

Objectives To explore the protective effect of irbesartan （lrb） under the interference with angiotensin II （Ang II） on ABCA1. Methods Electron microscopy was used to detect the morphous of foam cells. The expression of ABCA1 mRNA and its protein were determined by RT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively. The variance of cellular cholesterol content was measured by zymochemistry via-fluorospeetrophotometer. Results A positive facilitative effect of Ang II on the formation of foam cells was observed. Total cholesterol was increased significantly by Ang II, the expression of ABCA1 was down-regulated obviously by Ang II; Irb could protect ABCA1 against the lesion of Ang II; Total cellular cholesterol content was reduced significantly in Irb ＋ Ang II group; However, considerable alteration about the cholesterol content and the expression of ABCA1 were not observed in Irb group without incubation with Ang II. Conclusions Irb could protect ABCA1 against the lesion of Ang II, which may contribute to its anti-atherosclerotic properties. （ S Chin J Cardiol 2009; 10（4） ： 227 -233）

Plant ABC Transporters Enable Many Unique Aspects of a Terrestrial Plant＇s Lifestyle

Terrestrial plants have two to four times more ATP-binding cassette （ABC） transporter genes than other organisms, including their ancestral microalgae. Recent studies found that plants harboring mutations in these transporters exhibit dramatic phenotypes, many of which are related to developmental processes and functions necessary for life on dry land. These results suggest that ABC transporters multiplied during evolution and assumed novel functions that allowed plants to adapt to terrestrial environmental conditions. Examining the literature on plant ABC transporters from this viewpoint led us to propose that diverse ABC transporters enabled many unique and essential aspects of a terrestrial plant＇s lifestyle, by transporting various compounds across specific membranes of the plant.

Knocking-Out OsPDR7 Triggers Up-Regulation of OsZIP9 Expression and Enhances Zinc Accumulation in Rice

Zinc(Zn) is an essential trace mineral that is required for plant growth and development. A number of protein transporters, which are involved in Zn uptake, translocation and distribution, are finely regulated to maintain Zn homeostasis in plant. In this study, we functionally characterized an ATP-binding cassette(ABC) transporter gene, OsPDR7, which is involved in Zn homeostasis. Os PDR7 encodes a plasma membrane-localized protein that is expressed mainly in the exodermis and xylem in the rice root.ospdr7 mutants resulted in higher Zn accumulation compared with the wild type. Heterogeneous expression of OsPDR7 in a yeast mutant rescued the Zn-deficiency phenotype, implying transport activity of OsPDR7 to Zn in yeast. However, no ZIP genes except for OsZIP9 showed change in expression profile in the ospdr7 mutants, which suggested that OsPDR7 maintains cellular Zn homeostasis through regulating Os ZIP9 expression. RNA-Seq analysis further revealed a set of differentially expressed genes between the wild type and ospdr7 mutants that allowed us to propose a possible OsPDR7-associated signaling network involving transporters, hormone responsive genes, and transcription factors. Our results revealed a novel transporter involved in the regulation of Zn homeostasis and will pave the way toward a better understanding of the fine-tuning of gene expression in the network of transporter genes.

Advances in drug resistance of triple negative breast cancer caused by pregnane X receptor

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women worldwide.Triplenegative breast cancer(TNBC),refers breast cancer negative for estrogen receptor,progesterone receptor and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2,characterized by high drug resistance,high metastasis and high recurrence,treatment of which is a difficult problem in the clinical treatment of breast cancer.In order to better treat TNBC clinically,it is a very urgent task to explore the mechanism of TNBC resistance in basic breast cancer research.Pregnane X receptor(PXR)is a nuclear receptor whose main biological function is to participate in the metabolism,transport and clearance of allobiological agents in PXR.PXR plays an important role in drug metabolism and clearance,and PXR is highly expressed in tumor tissues of TNBC patients,which is related to the prognosis of breast cancer patients.This reviews synthesized the important role of PXR in the process of high drug resistance to TNBC chemotherapeutic drugs and related research progress.