Cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia patients caused by downregulation of γ-aminobutyric acid receptor subunits

BACKGROUND The expression pattern of gamma aminobutyric acid(GABA)receptor subunits are commonly altered in patients with schizophrenia,which may lead to nerve excitation/inhibition problems,affecting cognition,emotion,and behavior.AIM To explore GABA receptor expression and its relationship with schizophrenia and to provide insights into more effective treatments.METHODS This case-control study enrolled 126 patients with schizophrenia treated at our hospital and 126 healthy volunteers who underwent physical examinations at our hospital during the same period.The expression levels of the GABA receptor subunits were detected using 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy.The recognized cognitive battery tool,the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery,was used to evaluate the scores for various dimensions of cognitive function.The correlation between GABA receptor subunit downregulation and schizophrenia was also analyzed.RESULTS Significant differences in GABA receptor subunit levels were found between the case and control groups(P<0.05).A significant difference was also found between the case and control groups in terms of cognitive function measures,including attention/alertness and learning ability(P<0.05).Specifically,as the expression levels of GABRA1(α1 subunit gene),GABRB2(β2 subunit gene),GABRD(δsubunit),and GABRE(εsubunit)decreased,the severity of the patients’condition increased gradually,indicating a positive correlation between the downregulation of these 4 receptor subunits and schizophrenia(P<0.05).However,the expression levels of GABRA5(α5 subunit gene)and GABRA6(α6 subunit gene)showed no significant correlation with schizophrenia(P>0.05).CONCLUSION Downregulation of the GABA receptor subunits is positively correlated with schizophrenia.In other words,when GABA receptor subunits are downregulated in patients,cognitive impairment becomes more severe.

Cardioprotective Potential of Cymbopogon citratus Essential Oil against Isoproterenol-induced Cardiomyocyte Hypertrophy:Possible Involvement of NLRP3 Inflammasome and Oxidative Phosphorylation Complex Subunits

Objective:Cymbopogon citratus(DC.)Stapf is a medicinal and edible herb that is widely used for the treatment of gastric,nervous and hypertensive disorders.In this study,we investigated the cardioprotective effects and mechanisms of the essential oil,the main active ingredient of Cymbopogon citratus,on isoproterenol(ISO)-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy.Methods:The compositions of Cymbopogon citratus essential oil(CCEO)were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.Cardiomyocytes were pretreated with 16.9µg/L CCEO for 1 h followed by 10µmol/L ISO for 24 h.Cardiac hypertrophy-related indicators and NLRP3 inflammasome expression were evaluated.Subsequently,transcriptome sequencing(RNA-seq)and target verification were used to further explore the underlying mechanism.Results:Our results showed that the CCEO mainly included citronellal(45.66%),geraniol(23.32%),and citronellol(10.37%).CCEO inhibited ISO-induced increases in cell surface area and protein content,as well as the upregulation of fetal gene expression.Moreover,CCEO inhibited ISO-induced NLRP3 inflammasome expression,as evidenced by decreased lactate dehydrogenase content and downregulated mRNA levels of NLRP3,ASC,CASP1,GSDMD,and IL-1β,as well as reduced protein levels of NLRP3,ASC,pro-caspase-1,caspase-1(p20),GSDMD-FL,GSDMD-N,and pro-IL-1β.The RNA-seq results showed that CCEO inhibited the increase in the mRNA levels of 26 oxidative phosphorylation complex subunits in ISO-treated cardiomyocytes.Our further experiments confirmed that CCEO suppressed ISO-induced upregulation of mt-Nd1,Sdhd,mt-Cytb,Uqcrq,and mt-Atp6 but had no obvious effects on mt-Col expression.Conclusion:CCEO inhibits ISO-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy through the suppression of NLRP3 inflammasome expression and the regulation of several oxidative phosphorylation complex subunits.

Overexpression pattern,function,and clinical value of proteasome 26S subunit non-ATPase 6 in hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND In recent years,many studies have shown that proteasome 26S subunit non-ATPase 6(PSMD6)plays an important role in the occurrence and development of malignant tumours.Unfortunately,there are no reports on the evaluation of the potential role of PSMD6 in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).AIM To comprehensively evaluate the overexpression pattern and clinical significance of PSMD6 in HCC tissues.METHODS This study integrated PSMD6 mRNA expression profiles from 4672 HCC and 3667 non-HCC tissues,along with immunohistochemical scores from 383 HCC and adjacent tissues,to assess PSMD6 overexpression in HCC.Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats knockout technology evaluated PSMD6’s essential role in HCC cell growth.Functional enrichment analysis explored the molecular mechanism of PSMD6 abnormalities in HCC.Drug sensitivity analysis and molecular docking analysed the effect of abnormal expression of PSMD6 on the drug sensitivity of HCC cells.RESULTS The results of 41 external and two internal datasets showed that PSMD6 mRNA(SMD=0.26,95%CI:0.09-0.42,P<0.05)and protein(SMD=2.85,95%CI:1.19-4.50,P<0.05)were significantly overexpressed in HCC tissues.The integrated analysis results showed that PSMD6 had a significant overexpression pattern in HCC tissues(SMD=0.40,95%CI:0.15-0.66,P<0.05).PSMD6 knockout inhibited HCC cell growth(chronos scores<-1).Functional enrichment implicated ribosome biogenesis and RNA splicing.Significant enrichment of signalling pathways such as RNA degradation,ribosomes,and chemical carcinogenesis—reactive oxygen species.Drug sensitivity analysis and a molecular docking model showed that high expression of PSMD6 was associated with the tolerance of HCC cells to drugs such as ML323,sepantronium bromide,and GDC0810.Overexpressed PSMD6 effectively distinguished HCC tissues(AUC=0.75,95%CI:0.71-0.79).CONCLUSION This study was the first to discover that PSMD6 was overexpressed in HCC tissues.PSMD6 is essential for the growth of HCC cells and may be involved in ribosome biogenesis and RNA splicing.

Characterization of High-Molecular-Weight Glutenin Subunits and Their Coding Genes from Aegilops umbellulata

The high-molecular-weight (HMW) glutenin subunits and their coding genes from Aegilops umbellulata Zhuk. (UU, 2n = 2x = 14) were characterized using SDS-PAGE analysis and molecular approaches. SDS-PAGE analysis showed that the 1Ux subunits from four different accessions possessed electrophoretic mobilities close to, or slower than, that displayed by the 1Dx2.2 subunit of common wheat. The electrophoretic mobilities of the 1Uy subunits were generally similar to those shown by the 1Dy subunits of common wheat. The complete open reading frames of the 1Ux and 1Uy genes were amplified by PCR and subsequently cloned and sequenced. Amino acid sequence comparisons suggested that the primary structure of the 1Ux and 1Uy subunits were identical to that of published HMW glutenin subunits from related species, Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the HMW glutenin subunits of Ae. umbellulata were most closely related to those encoded by the D genome of Triticeae.

Analysis of Dynamic Accumulation of Three Types of Glutenin Subunits and Their Content in Relation to Sedimentation Value in Common Wheat

The biosynthetic time and accumulations of A-, B-, and C-type glutenin subunits in 7 winter wheat cultivars with different quality （strong, medium, weak gluten） were analyzed by SDS-PAGE. The results showed that no glutenin subunit was observed within 8 d after anthesis. Parts or all A-, B-, and C-type subunits appeared around day 12 in different cultivars. Other A-, B-, and C-type subunits appeared gradually. The accumulation of A-, B-, and C-type subunits fluctuated before maturity. The results of analysis of correlation between the ratios of A/T （total content of glutenin subunits）, A/C, AJ （B＋C）, （A＋B）/C, and （A＋B）/T and SDS-sedimentation value suggested that they were more significant. The negative correlation between the ratio of （B＋C）/T and SDS-sedimentation value was more significant, and the correlations between the ratio C/T and the SDS-sedimentation value were significantly negative.

Neuroprotective effects of autophagy inhibition on hippocampal glutamate receptor subunits after hypoxia-ischemia-induced brain damage in newborn rats

Autophagy has been suggested to participate in the pathology of hypoxic-ischemic brain damage（HIBD）.However,its regulatory role in HIBD remains unclear and was thus examined here using a rat model.To induce HIBD,the left common carotid artery was ligated in neonatal rats,and the rats were subjected to hypoxia for 2 hours.Some of these rats were intraperitoneally pretreated with the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine（10 m M in 10 μL） or the autophagy stimulator rapamycin（1 g/kg） 1 hour before artery ligation.Our findings demonstrated that hypoxia-ischemia-induced hippocampal injury in neonatal rats was accompanied by increased expression levels of the autophagy-related proteins light chain 3 and Beclin-1 as well as of the AMPA receptor subunit GluR 1,but by reduced expression of GluR 2.Pretreatment with the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine blocked hypoxia-ischemia-induced hippocampal injury,whereas pretreatment with the autophagy stimulator rapamycin significantly augmented hippocampal injury.Additionally,3-methyladenine pretreatment blocked the hypoxia-ischemia-induced upregulation of Glu R1 and downregulation of GluR2 in the hippocampus.By contrast,rapamycin further elevated hippocampal Glu R1 levels and exacerbated decreased GluR2 expression levels in neonates with HIBD.Our results indicate that autophagy inhibition favors the prevention of HIBD in neonatal rats,at least in part,through normalizing Glu R1 and GluR2 expression.

Composition and Content of High-Molecular-Weight Glutenin Subunits and Their Effects on Wheat Quality

Sedimentation values, flour glutenin macropolymer (GMP) contents, composition and contents of high-molecular-weight (HMW) glutenin subunits (GS) of 233 flour samples were determined. Our data indicated that subunit 1 occurred more frequently at Glu-A1 , subunit pair 7 + 8 at Glu-B1 and 2 + 12 at Glu-D1. The significant relationships between Glu-1 quality score and total HMW glutenin content, sedimentation value and GMP content suggested that the composition of HMW-GS affects wheat quality strongly. Moreover, the total content of HMW-GS was correlated with certain quality parameters more significantly. Relationship between subunit 5 + 10 content and breadmaking quality was better than others, but 2 + 12, 7 + 8, 7 + 9 and 4 + 12 also correlated with certain quality parameters significantly. The contents of total HMW-glutenin, x-type subunits and y-type subunits related with sedimentation value, flour GMP content, and Glu-1 quality score more strongly than that of individual subunit or subunit pair. The flour GMP content, with excellent correlation to sedimentation value, total contents of HMW glutenin, x- and y-type subunits and many other quality parameters, could be an ideal indicator of breadmaking quality at earlier generations for breeding purpose for its simple procedure and small scale.

Allelic Variation and Genetic Diversity at HMW Glutenin Subunits Loci in Yunnan, Tibetan and Xinjiang Wheat

Allelic variation and genetic diversity at HMW glutenin subunits loci, Glu-A1, Glu-B1and Glu-D1 were investigated in 64 accessions of three unique wheats of western Chinausing sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Two HMWglutenin patterns (i.e., null, 7+8, 2+12 and null, 7, 2+12) in 34 Yunnan wheataccessions, 3 HMW glutenin patterns (i.e., null, 7+8, 2+12; null, 6+8, 2+12 andnull, 7+8, 2) in 24 Tibetan accessions and 1 HMW glutenin pattern (null, 7, 2+12) in6 Xinjiang wheat accessions were found. The Tibetan accession TB18 was found to be witha rare subunit 2 encoded by Glu-D1. A total of 4 (i.e., Glu-A1c, Glu-B1a, Glu-B1b andGlu-D1a), 5 (i.e., Glu-A1c, Glu-B1d, Glu-B1b, Glu-D1a and Glu-D1) and 3 alleles (i.e.,Glu-A1c, Glu-B1a and Glu-D1a) at Glu-1 locus were identified among Yunnan, Tibetan andXinjiang unique wheat accessions, respectively. For Yunnan wheat, Tibetan wheat andXinjiang wheat, the Neis mean genetic variation indexes were 0.1574, 0.1366 and 0,respectively, which might indicate the higher genetic diversity at HMW glutenin subunitsloci of Yunnan and Tibetan wheat accessions as compared to that of Xinjiang wheataccessions. Among the three genomes of hexaploid wheats of western China, the highestNeis genetic variation index was appeared in B genome with the mean value of 0.2674,while the indexes for genomes A and D were 0 and 0.0270, respectively. It might bereasonable to indicate that Glu-B1 showed the highest, Glu-D1 the intermediate and Glu-A1 always the lowest genetic diversity.

Expression of mRNA-encoding subunits of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor in the hypothalamus in sustained monaural block of auditory air-conduction model rats

A sustained monaural block of auditory air-conduction model was established in rats through subcutaneous suture in the right ear canal.The gene expression levels of hypothalamic N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor NR1,NR2A,NR2B and NR2C mRNA in the auditory central nervous system of Sprague-Dawley rats at postnatal 9,23,37 days were determined after an environmental change.Reverse transcription-PCR assay showed that the critical period for the development of NR1,NR2A,and NR2B subunits in the left hypothalamus and NR1-and NR2B-dependent auditory neurons in the right hypothalamus terminated 23 days after the suture in the right ear.The critical period for the development of NR2A subunit-dependent auditory neurons in the right hypothalamus was terminated by postnatal day 37.The results confirmed that N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunits in the hypothalamus may be regulated by the auditory environment.

Synthetic protease inhibitor-induced inclusions in PC12 cells Potential proteomic characterization of six subunits in the 26S proteasome

Proteasome dysfunction during dopaminergic degeneration induces proteolytic stress, and is a contributing factor for the onset and formation of Lewy bodies. Results from our previous studies showed that synthetic proteasome inhibitor-induced inclusions in PC12 cells contained six subunits in the 26S proteasome. In the present study, mass spectrometry analysis of single protein spots resolved by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and identified by bioinformatic analysis of peptide mass fingerprint （PMF） data were performed to comprehensively characterize the proteomic profile of the proteasome subunits. Results showed that six subunits in the 26S proteasome were characterized through accurate assignment by PMF data-specific protein identification in protein databases. Additionally, identification of one of the proteasome subunits was further confirmed using a subunit-specific antibody against non-adenosine triphosphatase subunit 11 of the 19S regulatory particle. Results suggest that the potential proteomic profile of six subunits in the 26S proteasome could be established from proteasome inhibitor-induced inclusions in PC12 cells.

Cloning and Functional Analysis of Calcineurin Subunits A and B in Development and Fecundity of Nilaparvata lugens(Stål)

Serine/threonine phosphatase calcineurin(CN)is a unique but confounding calcium/calmodulin-mediated enzyme,which is composed of a catalytic subunit A(CNA)and a regulatory subunit B(CNB).We cloned six transcripts for CNA named from NlCNA-X1 to NlCNA-X6,one CNB named NlCNB1 and one CNB homologous gene NlCNBH1 from Nilaparvata lugens.All of them are constitutively transcripted in various tissues and developmental stages.The primary structure of the six isoforms showed obvious differences in the length and composition of the amino acid sequence between the two binding domains of Ca^(2+)/calmodulin(CaM)and CNB.Ca^(2+)-binding EF-hand motifs were found in NlCNB1 and NlCNBH1.The specific gene silencing of NlCNA,NlCNB1 and NlCNBH1 respectively by RNAi resulted in drastical reduction in survival rate,female weight,eclosion rate and fecundity of N.lugens.These results showed that NlCNA,NlCNB1 and NlCNBH1 were required for N.lugens growth and reproduction.The negative effects of NlCNB1 silence on nymph mortality(97%),molting malformation(90%)and female sterile(50%)were more serious than those of NlCNA or NlCNBH1.qRT-PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)analyses indicated that the nymphs with silenced NlCNA,NlCNB1 or NlCNBH1 showed impaired hormone and energy metabolism.In nymphs,the contents of 20-hydroxyecdysone(20E)after NlCNB1 RNAi and phenoloxidase after NlCNA RNAi were particularly decreased.These results suggested that NlCNA is involved in immunity of N.lugens by regulation of phenoloxidase,while NlCNB1 may control the growth and development of N.lugens by 20E signaling pathway in addition to interact with CNA.Injection of 70 ng/μL dsNlCNB1 resulted in 77.0%down regulation of NlCNB1,and the nymph mortality was up to 57.9%at 10 d after injection.Therefore,NlCNB1 could be a potential candidate target used for strategy design in control of N.lugens.Our results revealed the importance of CN in the regulation of the growth and development of N.lugens,which provided a basis for further study of the molecular mechanism of CN.

Attenuation of nicotine-evoked Ca²⁺influx by antibody to the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor <i>α</i>3 subunits in human embryonic kidney cells

Autoantibody against neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) α3 subunit is implicated in severe autonomic dysfunction in the patients with autoimmune autonomic ganglionopathy (AAG). Although this autoantibody has been revealed to impair fast excitatory synaptic transmission in autonomic ganglia, its precise mechanism remains unknown. Here, we show that antibody-induced reduction of cell-surface α3 subunits result in impairment of nicotine-evoked Ca2+ influx in stably transfected human embryonic kidney cells. These effects of the antibody were remarkably inhibited by interfering with the endocytic machinery at low-temperature. We conclude that reduction of nAChR in autonomic ganglia can be mediated by the endocytosis of α3 subunits, and resulted in autonomic failure in AAG patients.

Thylakoid Transit Peptide Is Related to the Expression and Localization of NdhB Subunits in Soybean

The chloroplast NAD(P)H dehydrogenase(NDH)complex,as one of the most important photosynthesis protein complexes in thylakoid membrane,is involved in photosystem I(PSI)cyclic electron transport(CEF).Under abiotic environmental stress,the photosynthetic apparatus is susceptible to the damage caused by the strong light illumination.However,the enhancement of NDHdependent CEF could facilitate the alleviation of the damage to the photosynthetic apparatus.The NdhB subunit encoded by chloroplast genome is one of most important subunits of NDH complex and consists of 510 amino acids.Here,according to cloning ndhB from Melrose(cultivated soybean),ACC547(wild salt-tolerant soybean),S113-6 and S111-9(hybrid descendant),based on the comparison and analysis of the sequences of NdhB subunits,we found that there is a novel thylakoid transit peptide of NdhB subunit in S111-9.In addition,crosslink immunoprecipitation,immunogold labeling and co-expression of GFP fusion protein indicated that the novel thylakoid transit peptide is favorable to the expression and localization of NdhB subunit in chloroplast.Therefore,we suggest that this novel thylakoid transit peptide plays the same role as chaperonin and contributes to facilitating the expression and localization of NdhB subunit.

Effects of Nourishing “Yin”-Removing “Fire” Chinese Herb Mixture on the Differential Expression of GABA_AReceptor <i>α</i>Subunits in Hypothalamus of Precocious Puberty Female Rats

GABAergic input to Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons is necessary to initiate the onset of puberty and its action mainly depends on GABAA receptor of which the subunit composition, properties and consequently function varies during this period. Nourishing “Yin”-Removing “Fire” Chinese herb mixture, a Chinese herb-based formulation, has been proved that it may retard the initiation of pubertal development in female precocious puberty rats. Our objective is to investigate the effects of Nourishing “Yin”-Removing “Fire” Chinese herb mixture on the expression of GABAA receptor α subunits in hypothalamus. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into normal (N), precocious puberty model (M) induced by danazol, model exposed to saline (MS) and model exposed to Chinese herb mixture (CHM) groups. All rats were administered by the Chinese herb mixture from P15 on. Coefficients of reproductive organs and serum gonadotropins and estradiol levels in M were significantly enhanced while they were significantly decreased in CHM. The hypothalamic GnRH mRNA was also significantly increased in M and in CHM, as well as ERα mRNA. At the mean time, the hypothalamic GABAA receptor α1 and α3 subunits mRNA were more significantly decreased in M than those of N, while they were more significantly enhanced in CHM than those in M (p 0.01), the protein expression of which in hypothalamus had the same trend as the mRNA expression. The evidence suggests that Nourishing “Yin”-Removing “Fire” Chinese herb mixture could significantly retard the sexual development of the precocious rats, and up-regulate the expressions of hypothalamic GABAA receptor α1 and α3 subunits. Our result indicated that GABAA receptor α1 and α3 subunits might involve in the effective treatment of herb mixture on idiopathic precocious puberty.

Role of brahma-related gene 1/brahma-associated factor subunits in neural stem/progenitor cells and related neural developmental disorders

Different fates of neural stem/progenitor cells(NSPCs)and their progeny are determined by the gene regulatory network,where a chromatin-remodeling complex affects synergy with other regulators.Here,we review recent research progress indicating that the BRG1/BRM-associated factor(BAF)complex plays an important role in NSPCs during neural development and neural developmental disorders.Several studies based on animal models have shown that mutations in the BAF complex may cause abnormal neural differentiation,which can also lead to various diseases in humans.We discussed BAF complex subunits and their main characteristics in NSPCs.With advances in studies of human pluripotent stem cells and the feasibility of driving their differentiation into NSPCs,we can now investigate the role of the BAF complex in regulating the balance between self-renewal and differentiation of NSPCs.Considering recent progress in these research areas,we suggest that three approaches should be used in investigations in the near future.Sequencing of whole human exome and genome-wide association studies suggest that mutations in the subunits of the BAF complex are related to neurodevelopmental disorders.More insight into the mechanism of BAF complex regulation in NSPCs during neural cell fate decisions and neurodevelopment may help in exploiting new methods for clinical applications.

Overexpression of proteasome 26S subunit non-ATPase 6 protein and its clinicopathological significance in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

BACKGROUND Currently,intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma(ICC)poses a continuing,significant health challenge,but the relationship has yet to be established between ICC and the proteasome 26S subunit non-ATPase 6(PSMD6).AIM To investigate the protein expression and clinicopathological significance of PSMD6 in ICC.METHODS The potential impact of the PSMD6 gene on the growth of ICC cell lines was analyzed using clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat knockout screening technology.Forty-two paired specimens of ICC and adjacent noncancerous tissues were collected.PSMD6 protein expression was determined by immunohistochemistry.Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to validate PSMD6 expression level,and its association with ICC patients’various clinicopathological characteristics was investigated.RESULTS The PSMD6 gene was found to be essential for the growth of ICC cell lines.PSMD6 protein was significantly overexpressed in ICC tissues(P<0.001),but showed no significant association with patient age,gender,pathological grade,or tumor-node-metastasis stage(P>0.05).CONCLUSION PSMD6 can promote the growth of ICC cells,thus playing a pro-oncogenic role.

Analysis of the potential biological value of pyruvate dehydrogenase E1 subunitβin human cancer

BACKGROUND The pyruvate dehydrogenase E1 subunitβ(PDHB)gene which regulates energy metabolism is located in mitochondria.However,few studies have elucidated the role and mechanism of PDHB in different cancers.AIM To comprehensive pan-cancer analysis of PDHB was performed based on bioinformatics approaches to explore its tumor diagnostic and prognostic value and tumor immune relevance in cancer.In vitro experiments were performed to examine the biological regulation of PDHB in liver cancer.METHODS Pan-cancer data related to PDHB were obtained from the Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)database.Analysis of the gene expression profiles of PDHB was based on TCGA and Genotype Tissue Expression Dataset databases.Cox regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier methods were used to assess the correlation between PDHB expression and survival prognosis in cancer patients.The correlation between PDHB and receiver operating characteristic diagnostic curve,clinicopathological staging,somatic mutation,tumor mutation burden(TMB),microsatellite instability(MSI),DNA methylation,and drug susceptibility in pan-cancer was also analyzed.Various algorithms were used to analyze the correlation between PDHB and immune cell infiltration and tumor chemotaxis environment,as well as the co-expression analysis of PDHB and immune checkpoint(ICP)genes.The expression and functional phenotype of PDHB in single tumor cells were studied by single-cell sequencing,and the functional enrichment analysis of PDHB-related genes was performed.The study also validated the level of mRNA or protein expression of PDHB in several cancers.Finally,in vitro experiments verified the regulatory effect of PDHB on the proliferation,migration,and invasion of liver cancer.RESULTS PDHB was significantly and differently expressed in most cancers.PDHB was significantly associated with prognosis in patients with a wide range of cancers,including kidney renal clear cell carcinoma,kidney renal papillary cell carcinoma,breast invasive carcinoma,and brain lower grade glioma.In some cancers,PDHB expression was clearly associated with gene mutations,clinicopathological stages,and expression of TMB,MSI,and ICP genes.The expression of PDHB was closely related to the infiltration of multiple immune cells in the immune microenvironment and the regulation of tumor chemotaxis environment.In addition,single-cell sequencing results showed that PDHB correlated with different biological phenotypes of multiple cancer single cells.This study further demonstrated that down-regulation of PDHB expression inhibited the proliferation,migration,and invasion functions of hepatoma cells.CONCLUSION As a member of pan-cancer,PDHB may be a novel cancer marker with potential value in diagnosing cancer,predicting prognosis,and in targeted therapy.

Genetic diversity of the S-type small subunit ribosomal RNA gene of Plasmodium knowlesi isolates from Sabah,Malaysian Borneo and Peninsular Malaysia

Objective:To determine the genetic diversity of Plasmodium(P.)knowlesi isolates from Sabah,Malaysian Borneo and Peninsular Malaysia,targeting the S-type SSU rRNA gene and including aspects of natural selection and haplotype.Methods:Thirty-nine blood samples infected with P.knowlesi were collected in Sabah,Malaysian Borneo and Peninsular Malaysia.The S-type SSU rRNA gene was amplified using polymerase chain reaction,cloned into a vector,and sequenced.The natural selection and haplotype of the S-type SSU rRNA gene sequences were determined using DnaSP v6 and illustrated using NETWORK v10.This study's 39 S-type SSU rRNA sequences and eight sequences from the Genbank database were subjected to phylogenetic analysis using MEGA 11.Results:Overall,the phylogenetic analysis showed no evidence of a geographical cluster of P.knowlesi isolates from different areas in Malaysia based on the S-type SSU rRNA gene sequences.The S-type SSU rRNA gene sequences were relatively conserved and with a purifying effect.Haplotype sharing of the S-type SSU rRNA gene was observed between the P.knowlesi isolates in Sabah,Malaysian Borneo,but not between Sabah,Malaysian Borneo and Peninsular Malaysia.Conclusions:This study suggests that the S-type SSU rRNA gene of P.knowlesi isolates in Sabah,Malaysian Borneo,and Peninsular Malaysia has fewer polymorphic sites,representing the conservation of the gene.These features make the S-type SSU rRNA gene suitable for comparative studies,such as determining the evolutionary relationships and common ancestry among P.knowlesi species.

Is 26S proteasome non-ATPase regulatory subunit 6 a potential molecular target for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma?

In this editorial we comment on the article by Tang et al published in the recent issue of World Journal of Hepatology.Drug therapy of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma(iCCA)poses an enormous challenge since only a small proportion of patients demonstrate beneficial responses to therapeutic agents.Thus,there has been a sustained search for novel molecular targets for iCCA.The study by Tang et al evaluated the role of 26S proteasome non-ATPase regulatory subunit 6(PSMD6),a 19S regulatory subunit of the proteasome,in human iCCA cells and specimens.The authors employed clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat(CRISPR)knockout screening technology integrated with the computational CERES algorithm,and analyzed the human protein atlas(THPA)database and tissue microarrays.The results show that PSMD6 is a gene essential for the proliferation of 17 iCCA cell lines,and PSMD6 protein was overexpressed in iCCA tissues without a significant correlation with the clinicopathological parameters.The authors conclude that PSMD6 may play a promoting role in iCCA.The major limitations and defects of this study are the lack of detailed information of CRISPR knockout screening,in vivo experiments,and a discussion of plausible mechanistic cues,which,therefore,dampen the significance of the results.Further studies are required to verify PSMD6 as a molecular target for developing novel therapeutics for iCCA.In addition,the editorial article summarizes the latest advances in molecular targeted drugs and recently emerging immunotherapy in the clinical management of iCCA,development of proteasome inhibitors for cancer therapy,and advantages of CRISPR screening technology,computational methods,and THPA database as experimental tools for fighting cancer.We hope that these comments may provide some clues for those engaged in the field of basic and clinical research into iCCA.

Cloning and Sequence of Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor α Subunit from Chilo suppressalis

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) play a significant role in excitatory synaptic transmission in insects and are the target for chloronicotinyl and nereistoxin insecticides.In recent years,Chilo suppressalis,an economically important pest of rice,developed high resistance against monosultap,a nereistoxin insecticide acting on nAChR.In order to reveal the hypothesized target insensitive mechanism,studies on the molecular property of nAChR from Chilo suppressalis are required.In this study,the full length cDNA of nAChR α subunit from this pest was cloned by RT-PCR.Sequence analysis shows that it is a novel nAChR α subunit,which was named as Cs α 1(Genbank accession No.AF418987).It contains 1?997?bp nucleotides and involves an open reading frame (ORF) encoding a mature protein of 509 amino acids excluding a signal peptide of 24 amino acids.The deduced amino acid sequence was 52%-94% identical to the reported insect nAChR genes.