The hepatitis E virus(HEV),a member of the Hepeviridae family,is a small,non-enveloped icosahedral virus divided into eight distinct genotypes(HEV-1 to HEV-8).Only genotypes 1 to 4 are known to cause diseases in human...The hepatitis E virus(HEV),a member of the Hepeviridae family,is a small,non-enveloped icosahedral virus divided into eight distinct genotypes(HEV-1 to HEV-8).Only genotypes 1 to 4 are known to cause diseases in humans.Genotypes 1 and 2 commonly spread via fecal-oral transmission,often through the consum-ption of contaminated water.Genotypes 3 and 4 are known to infect pigs,deer,and wild boars,often transferring to humans through inadequately cooked meat.Acute hepatitis caused by HEV in healthy individuals is mostly asymptomatic or associated with minor symptoms,such as jaundice.However,in immunosup-pressed individuals,the disease can progress to chronic hepatitis and even escalate to cirrhosis.For pregnant women,an HEV infection can cause fulminant liver failure,with a potential mortality rate of 25%.Mortality rates also rise amongst cirrhotic patients when they contract an acute HEV infection,which can even trigger acute-on-chronic liver failure if layered onto pre-existing chronic liver disease.As the prevalence of HEV infection continues to rise worldwide,highlighting the particular risks associated with severe HEV infection is of major medical interest.This text offers a brief summary of the characteristics of hepatitis developed by patient groups at an elevated risk of severe HEV infection.展开更多
AIMTo investigate the role of non-structural open reading frame 1 “Y-domain” sequences in the hepatitis E virus (HEV) life cycle.METHODSSequences of human HEV Y-domain (amino acid sequences 216...AIMTo investigate the role of non-structural open reading frame 1 “Y-domain” sequences in the hepatitis E virus (HEV) life cycle.METHODSSequences of human HEV Y-domain (amino acid sequences 216-442) and closely-related viruses were analyzed in silico. Site-directed mutagenesis of the Y-domain (HEV SAR55) was carried out and studied in the replicon-baculovirus-hepatoma cell model. In vitro transcribed mRNA (pSK-GFP) constructs were transfected into S10-3 cells and viral RNA replicating GFP-positive cells were scored by flow cytometry. Mutant virions’ infectivity was assayed on naïve HepG2/C3A cells.RESULTSIn silico analysis identified a potential palmitoylation-site (C<sub>336</sub>C<sub>337</sub>) and an α-helix segment (L<sub>410</sub>Y<sub>411</sub>S<sub>412</sub>W<sub>413</sub>L<sub>414</sub>F<sub>415</sub>E<sub>416</sub>) in the HEV Y-domain. Molecular characterization of C<sub>336</sub>A, C<sub>337</sub>A and W<sub>413</sub>A mutants of the three universally conserved residues showed non-viability. Further, of the 10 consecutive saturation mutants covering the entire Y-domain nucleotide sequences (nts 650-1339), three constructs (nts 788-994) severely affected virus replication. This revealed the indispensability of the internal sequences but not of the up- or downstream sequences at the transcriptional level. Interestingly, the three mutated residues corresponded to the downstream codons that tolerated saturation mutation, indicating their post-translational functional/structural essentiality. In addition, RNA secondary structure prediction revealed formation of stable hairpins (nts 788-994) where saturation mutation drastically inhibited virion infectivity.CONCLUSIONThis is the first demonstration of the critical role of Y-domain sequences in HEV life cycle, which may involve gene regulation and/or membrane binding in intracellular replication complexes.展开更多
The p27Kip1 is a cell cycle repressor protein that regulates primarily the cell cycle transition from G1 to S phase and hence the DNA replication is in the S phase and cell division in the M phase. Expression of p27Ki...The p27Kip1 is a cell cycle repressor protein that regulates primarily the cell cycle transition from G1 to S phase and hence the DNA replication is in the S phase and cell division in the M phase. Expression of p27Kip1 protein has dual roles for both cancer prevention and promotion. For example, numerous nutritional and chemopreventive anti-cancer agents specifically increase the expression of p27Kip1 protein without directly affecting the expression of any other cell cycle regulatory proteins. On the other hand, pro-cancer agents (like glucose, insulin and other growth factors frequently seen in obesity and/or diabetes) specifically decrease the expression of p27Kip1 protein without directly affecting the expression of any other cell cycle regulatory proteins. Unlike expression of any other cell cycle regulatory proteins, expression of p27Kip1 protein is very unusual. The mRNA of p27Kip1 has a very long and unusual 5’-untranslated region (from -575 to -1 in human). It appears that the 5’-untranslated region of p27Kip1 mRNA forms two alternative secondary structures. One increases the expression of p27Kip1 protein when anti-cancer agents are added and another decrease the expression of p27K1p1 when pro-cancer agents are added. For this short concept proposal, Dr. Albert Einstein’s “visualized thought experiments (German: Gedanken experiment)” were used as a fundamental tool for understanding how either anti- or pro-cancer agents bring the primary structure of the 5’-untranslated region of p27Kip1 mRNA into two alternative secondary structures, thereby either increasing or decreasing, respectively, the translation initiation of p27Kip1 protein.展开更多
Research Aims: Obesity and type 2 diabetes are known to be associated with increased risk of various types of cancer. However, the molecular biological mechanism of how the risk of cancer is increased in obesity or ty...Research Aims: Obesity and type 2 diabetes are known to be associated with increased risk of various types of cancer. However, the molecular biological mechanism of how the risk of cancer is increased in obesity or type 2 diabetes is not known. The aim this research is to investigate if the decreased expression of p27Kip1, a cell cycle repressor protein, plays a central role in this mechanism. Research Methods, Previous Studies and Theoretical Backgrounds: It is well known that the expression of p27Kip1 is increased by numerous nutritional or chemopreventive anti-cancer agents. But it has never been known that the expression of p27Kip1 could be decreased, rather than increased, and the risk of cancer could be increased, rather than decreased. This problem was solved recently and this new analytical method was used in this study. Results: 1) The expression of p27Kip1 was indeed significantly decreased in human obese type 2 diabetic individuals relative to the lean normal controls. 2) The expression of p27Kip1 was also significantly decreased in genetically obese rodents relative to the lean normal controls. Additionally, in obese rodents, the concentrations of glucose or insulin were significantly increased relative to the lean normal controls. 3) Using human cells cultured in vitro it was found that the increased concentrations of glucose or insulin decrease the expression of p27Kip1. Conclusions: These results suggest that higher concentrations of glucose or insulin increase the risk of various types of cancer in obesity or type 2 diabetes by decreasing the expression of p27Kip1.展开更多
Background DNA analysis has shown a lack of significant compatibility between couples affected by unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (URSA) compared with normal fertile couples, 8 although one study that ma...Background DNA analysis has shown a lack of significant compatibility between couples affected by unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (URSA) compared with normal fertile couples, 8 although one study that made use of a PCR-sequence-specific oligonucleotide (SSO) method did observe evidence of significant compatibility in the HLA-DQA1 and DQB1 alleles between patients and aborted fetuses. 9 This study was designed to investigate whether URSA were associated with particular DQ alleles or promoter alleles.Methods Thirty-two patients with URSA and 54 women who had had at least one successful pregnancy were included in this study. HLA-DQ genotyping was performed by the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. The HLA-DQB1 promoter was detected by the SSO and sequence-specific primer (SSP) methods. The DQA1, DQB1, and DQB1 promoter (QBP) gene frequencies in the patients were compared with the gene frequencies in normal controls. The data were analyzed statistically with the χ 2 and Fisher’s exact tests.Results The results showed that the frequency of DQB1 *0604/0605 was significantly higher and the frequency of DQB1 *0501/0502 was significantly lower in the patient group as compared with the normal controls. In addition, the frequencies of the DQA1 *01-DQB1 *0604/0605 and QBP6.2-DQB1 *0604/0605 haplotypes were overrepresented in the patients relative to the controls. Our results did not show any differences between URSA patients and the controls with regard to DQA1 and QBP allele frequencies. Conclusions Our data suggest that URSA is associated with the HLA-DQB1 coding region, and is not associated with its upstream regulatory region. The DQB1 *0604/0605, DQA1 *01-DQB1 *0604/0605, and QBP6.2-DQB1 *0604/0605 haplotypes may confer susceptibility to URSA, while the DQB1 *0501/0502 allele may protect women from URSA.展开更多
基金Supported by Interreg V-A Romania-Hungary Programme,No.ROHU339.
文摘The hepatitis E virus(HEV),a member of the Hepeviridae family,is a small,non-enveloped icosahedral virus divided into eight distinct genotypes(HEV-1 to HEV-8).Only genotypes 1 to 4 are known to cause diseases in humans.Genotypes 1 and 2 commonly spread via fecal-oral transmission,often through the consum-ption of contaminated water.Genotypes 3 and 4 are known to infect pigs,deer,and wild boars,often transferring to humans through inadequately cooked meat.Acute hepatitis caused by HEV in healthy individuals is mostly asymptomatic or associated with minor symptoms,such as jaundice.However,in immunosup-pressed individuals,the disease can progress to chronic hepatitis and even escalate to cirrhosis.For pregnant women,an HEV infection can cause fulminant liver failure,with a potential mortality rate of 25%.Mortality rates also rise amongst cirrhotic patients when they contract an acute HEV infection,which can even trigger acute-on-chronic liver failure if layered onto pre-existing chronic liver disease.As the prevalence of HEV infection continues to rise worldwide,highlighting the particular risks associated with severe HEV infection is of major medical interest.This text offers a brief summary of the characteristics of hepatitis developed by patient groups at an elevated risk of severe HEV infection.
基金Supported by the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Saud University,Riyadh,No.RG-1435-053
文摘AIMTo investigate the role of non-structural open reading frame 1 “Y-domain” sequences in the hepatitis E virus (HEV) life cycle.METHODSSequences of human HEV Y-domain (amino acid sequences 216-442) and closely-related viruses were analyzed in silico. Site-directed mutagenesis of the Y-domain (HEV SAR55) was carried out and studied in the replicon-baculovirus-hepatoma cell model. In vitro transcribed mRNA (pSK-GFP) constructs were transfected into S10-3 cells and viral RNA replicating GFP-positive cells were scored by flow cytometry. Mutant virions’ infectivity was assayed on naïve HepG2/C3A cells.RESULTSIn silico analysis identified a potential palmitoylation-site (C<sub>336</sub>C<sub>337</sub>) and an α-helix segment (L<sub>410</sub>Y<sub>411</sub>S<sub>412</sub>W<sub>413</sub>L<sub>414</sub>F<sub>415</sub>E<sub>416</sub>) in the HEV Y-domain. Molecular characterization of C<sub>336</sub>A, C<sub>337</sub>A and W<sub>413</sub>A mutants of the three universally conserved residues showed non-viability. Further, of the 10 consecutive saturation mutants covering the entire Y-domain nucleotide sequences (nts 650-1339), three constructs (nts 788-994) severely affected virus replication. This revealed the indispensability of the internal sequences but not of the up- or downstream sequences at the transcriptional level. Interestingly, the three mutated residues corresponded to the downstream codons that tolerated saturation mutation, indicating their post-translational functional/structural essentiality. In addition, RNA secondary structure prediction revealed formation of stable hairpins (nts 788-994) where saturation mutation drastically inhibited virion infectivity.CONCLUSIONThis is the first demonstration of the critical role of Y-domain sequences in HEV life cycle, which may involve gene regulation and/or membrane binding in intracellular replication complexes.
文摘The p27Kip1 is a cell cycle repressor protein that regulates primarily the cell cycle transition from G1 to S phase and hence the DNA replication is in the S phase and cell division in the M phase. Expression of p27Kip1 protein has dual roles for both cancer prevention and promotion. For example, numerous nutritional and chemopreventive anti-cancer agents specifically increase the expression of p27Kip1 protein without directly affecting the expression of any other cell cycle regulatory proteins. On the other hand, pro-cancer agents (like glucose, insulin and other growth factors frequently seen in obesity and/or diabetes) specifically decrease the expression of p27Kip1 protein without directly affecting the expression of any other cell cycle regulatory proteins. Unlike expression of any other cell cycle regulatory proteins, expression of p27Kip1 protein is very unusual. The mRNA of p27Kip1 has a very long and unusual 5’-untranslated region (from -575 to -1 in human). It appears that the 5’-untranslated region of p27Kip1 mRNA forms two alternative secondary structures. One increases the expression of p27Kip1 protein when anti-cancer agents are added and another decrease the expression of p27K1p1 when pro-cancer agents are added. For this short concept proposal, Dr. Albert Einstein’s “visualized thought experiments (German: Gedanken experiment)” were used as a fundamental tool for understanding how either anti- or pro-cancer agents bring the primary structure of the 5’-untranslated region of p27Kip1 mRNA into two alternative secondary structures, thereby either increasing or decreasing, respectively, the translation initiation of p27Kip1 protein.
文摘Research Aims: Obesity and type 2 diabetes are known to be associated with increased risk of various types of cancer. However, the molecular biological mechanism of how the risk of cancer is increased in obesity or type 2 diabetes is not known. The aim this research is to investigate if the decreased expression of p27Kip1, a cell cycle repressor protein, plays a central role in this mechanism. Research Methods, Previous Studies and Theoretical Backgrounds: It is well known that the expression of p27Kip1 is increased by numerous nutritional or chemopreventive anti-cancer agents. But it has never been known that the expression of p27Kip1 could be decreased, rather than increased, and the risk of cancer could be increased, rather than decreased. This problem was solved recently and this new analytical method was used in this study. Results: 1) The expression of p27Kip1 was indeed significantly decreased in human obese type 2 diabetic individuals relative to the lean normal controls. 2) The expression of p27Kip1 was also significantly decreased in genetically obese rodents relative to the lean normal controls. Additionally, in obese rodents, the concentrations of glucose or insulin were significantly increased relative to the lean normal controls. 3) Using human cells cultured in vitro it was found that the increased concentrations of glucose or insulin decrease the expression of p27Kip1. Conclusions: These results suggest that higher concentrations of glucose or insulin increase the risk of various types of cancer in obesity or type 2 diabetes by decreasing the expression of p27Kip1.
基金ThisstudywassupportedbytheNationalNaturalScienceFoundationofChina (No 3 9870 775 )
文摘Background DNA analysis has shown a lack of significant compatibility between couples affected by unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (URSA) compared with normal fertile couples, 8 although one study that made use of a PCR-sequence-specific oligonucleotide (SSO) method did observe evidence of significant compatibility in the HLA-DQA1 and DQB1 alleles between patients and aborted fetuses. 9 This study was designed to investigate whether URSA were associated with particular DQ alleles or promoter alleles.Methods Thirty-two patients with URSA and 54 women who had had at least one successful pregnancy were included in this study. HLA-DQ genotyping was performed by the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. The HLA-DQB1 promoter was detected by the SSO and sequence-specific primer (SSP) methods. The DQA1, DQB1, and DQB1 promoter (QBP) gene frequencies in the patients were compared with the gene frequencies in normal controls. The data were analyzed statistically with the χ 2 and Fisher’s exact tests.Results The results showed that the frequency of DQB1 *0604/0605 was significantly higher and the frequency of DQB1 *0501/0502 was significantly lower in the patient group as compared with the normal controls. In addition, the frequencies of the DQA1 *01-DQB1 *0604/0605 and QBP6.2-DQB1 *0604/0605 haplotypes were overrepresented in the patients relative to the controls. Our results did not show any differences between URSA patients and the controls with regard to DQA1 and QBP allele frequencies. Conclusions Our data suggest that URSA is associated with the HLA-DQB1 coding region, and is not associated with its upstream regulatory region. The DQB1 *0604/0605, DQA1 *01-DQB1 *0604/0605, and QBP6.2-DQB1 *0604/0605 haplotypes may confer susceptibility to URSA, while the DQB1 *0501/0502 allele may protect women from URSA.
