The pathogenic mechanism of TAR DNA-binding protein 43(TDP-43)in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

The onset of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is usually characterized by focal death of both upper and/or lower motor neurons occurring in the motor cortex,basal ganglia,brainstem,and spinal cord,and commonly involves the muscles of the upper and/or lower extremities,and the muscles of the bulbar and/or respiratory regions.However,as the disease progresses,it affects the adjacent body regions,leading to generalized muscle weakness,occasionally along with memory,cognitive,behavioral,and language impairments;respiratory dysfunction occurs at the final stage of the disease.The disease has a complicated pathophysiology and currently,only riluzole,edaravone,and phenylbutyrate/taurursodiol are licensed to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in many industrialized countries.The TAR DNA-binding protein 43 inclusions are observed in 97%of those diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.This review provides a preliminary overview of the potential effects of TAR DNAbinding protein 43 in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,including the abnormalities in nucleoplasmic transport,RNA function,post-translational modification,liquid-liquid phase separation,stress granules,mitochondrial dysfunction,oxidative stress,axonal transport,protein quality control system,and non-cellular autonomous functions(e.g.,glial cell functions and prion-like propagation).

Solid-state NMR studies of proteins in condensed phases

Some proteins perform their biological functions by changing their material states through liquid-liquid phase separation.Upon phase separation,the protein condenses into a concentrated liquid phase and sometimes into a gel phase,changing its dynamic properties and intermolecular interactions,thereby regulating cellular functions.Although the biological significance of this phenomenon has been widely recognized by researchers,there is still a lack of a comprehensive understanding of the structural and dynamic properties of the protein in the condensed phase.In this phase,molecules usually contain domains with varied dynamic properties and undergo intermediate exchanges.Magic angle spinning(MAS)solid-state NMR(SSNMR)experiments are very powerful in studying rigid protein polymers such as amyloid.The incorporation of solution-like experiments into SSNMR and the development of J-coupling based MAS SSNMR techniques extend its ability to study partially mobile segments of proteins in a condensed liquid or gel phase which are not visible by solution NMR or dipolar-coupling based SSNMR.Therefore,it has been applied in studying protein condensation and has provided very important information that is hard to obtain by other techniques.

The effects of maltodextrin/starch in soy protein isolate–wheat gluten on the thermal stability of high-moisture extrudates

This study aimed to investigate the interaction between maltodextrin/starch of different molecular weight distributions and soy protein isolate (SPI)–wheat gluten (WG) matrix during high-moisture extrusion.Two maltodextrins (dextrose equivalent (DE):10 and 20) and wheat starch were extruded with SPI–WG blend in a system of 65,70,and 75%moisture to investigate their effects on texture and thermal stability.Incorporating 5%maltodextrin (DE10) in the SPI–WG matrix improved the fiber structure and thermal stability.When wheat starch was thoroughly gelatinized during subsequent sterilization,the fiber structure and thermal stability were also improved.It was found that the plasticization caused by small-molecular weight saccharides and enhanced phase separation caused by large-molecular weight saccharides changed the melting temperature of blends and significantly improved the texture and thermal stability of extrudates.

Fe_3O_4@PAM@NTA-Ni^(2+) Magnetic Composite Nanoparticles for Highly Specific Separation of His-tagged Proteins

A facile approach has been developed to synthesize Fe3O4@PAM（polyacrylamide） nanoparticles（NPs） with carboxyl groups on the surfaces by copolymerization with acrylamide and acrylic acid in Fe3O4 NPs aqueous suspension. Nitrilotriacetic acid（NTA） was conjugated to the magnetic NPs via well-known carboniimide chemistry using EDC and NHS. The Ni^（2＋） ions loaded on the surface of NPs provide abundant docking sites for immobilization of His-tagged green fluorescent proteins（His-tagged GFP）. The high magnetic property of Fe3O4@PAM@NTA-Ni^（2＋） allows an easy separation of the NPs from solution under an external magnetic field, with high His-tagged protein binding capacity（42 μg protein/mg of NPs）. The NPs can be recycled for at least four times without significant loss of binding capacity to proteins. These materials show great potential to separate His-tagged protein with low-cost purification at industrial scale.

High Performance Hydrophobic Interaction Chromatography-A New Approach to Separate Intermediates of Protein Folding──Ⅰ.Separation of Intermediates of Urea-unfolded α-Amylase

Based on the different hydrophobicities of the intermediates of proteins the various conformational intermediates of the refolding of a-amylase originally denatured with 8.0 mol/L urea solution were separated with high performance hydrophobic interaction chromatography(HPHIC). Compared to the separation of the same intermediates with weak anion exchange chromatography and size-exclusion chromatography the result obtained with HPHIC is the best It would be expected that HPHIC may be a strongly potential tool to separate intermediates of some proteins which cannot be, or cannot completely be refolded by HPHIC.

Targeted anti-cancer therapy: Co-delivery of VEGF siRNA and Phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) via cRGD-modified lipid nanoparticles for enhanced anti-angiogenic efficacy

Anti-tumor angiogenesis therapy, targeting the suppression of blood vessel growth in tumors, presents a potent approach in the battle against cancer. Traditional therapies have primarily concentrated on single-target techniques, with a specific emphasis on targeting the vascular endothelial growth factor, but have not reached ideal therapeutic efficacy. In response to this issue, our study introduced a novel nanoparticle system known as CS-siRNA/PEITC&L-cRGD NPs. These chitosan-based nanoparticles have been recognized for their excellent biocompatibility and ability to deliver genes. To enhance their targeted delivery capability, they were combined with a cyclic RGD peptide (cRGD). Targeted co-delivery of gene and chemotherapeutic agents was achieved through the use of a negatively charged lipid shell and cRGD, which possesses high affinity for integrin αvβ3 overexpressed in tumor cells and neovasculature. In this multifaceted approach, co-delivery of VEGF siRNA and phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) was employed to target both tumor vascular endothelial cells and tumor cells simultaneously. The co-delivery of VEGF siRNA and PEITC could achieve precise silencing of VEGF, inhibit the accumulation of HIF-1α under hypoxic conditions, and induce apoptosis in tumor cells. In summary, we have successfully developed a nanoparticle delivery platform that utilizes a dual mechanism of action of anti-tumor angiogenesis and pro-tumor apoptosis, which provides a robust and potent strategy for the delivery of anti-cancer therapeutics.

MicroRNA-363-3p inhibits colorectal cancer progression by targeting interferon-induced transmembrane protein 1

BACKGROUND The molecular mechanisms of colorectal cancer development and progression are far from being elucidated.AIM To investigate the role of microRNA-363-3p(miR-363-3p)in the progression of colorectal cancer.METHODS Real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed to detect miRNA expression in human colorectal cancer tissues and paired normal colorectal tissues.PITA 6 was utilized to predict the targets of miR-363-3p.Dual-luciferase reporter system was used to validate the target of miR-363-3p.Plate colony formation assay and wound-healing assay were performed to evaluate cancer cells’clonogenic survival ability and migration ability,respectively.Cell proliferation was examined by cell counting kit-8 assay.Immunohistochemical staining was used to determine the expression level of interferon-induced transmembrane protein 1(IFITM1)in colorectal cancer tissues and adjacent tissues.The TCGA and GTEx databases were used to compare the expression levels of IFITM1 mRNA in colorectal cancer tissues and normal colorectal tissues and analyze the correlation between the expression levels of IFITM1 mRNA and overall survival and disease-free survival of patients.A colorectal cancer cell line with a deficiency of IFITM1 was constructed,and the regulation effect of IFITM1 on the clonogenic growth of colorectal cancer cells was clarified.RESULTS MiR-363-3p was decreased in colorectal cancer tissues compared to normal colorectal tissues.IFITM1 was characterized as a direct target of miR-363-3p.Overexpression of miR-363-3p led to decreased clonogenic survival,proliferation,and migration of colorectal cancer cells,which could be reversed by forced IFITM1 expression.CONCLUSION MiR-363-3p can constrain clonogenic survival,proliferation,and migration of colorectal cancer cells via targeting IFITM1.

Selective separation and enrichment of proteins in aqueous two-phase extraction system

A simple aqueous two-phase extraction system （ATPS） of PEG/phosphate was proposed for selective separation and enrichment of proteins. The combination of ATPE with HPLC was applied to identify the partition of proteins in two phases. Five proteins （bovine serum albumin, Cytochrome C, lysozyme, myoglobin, and trypsin） were used as model proteins to study the effect of phosphate concentration and pH on proteins partition. The PEG/phosphate system was firstly applied to real human saliva and plasma samples, some proteins showed obviously different partition in two phases. The primary results manifest the selective separation and enrichment of proteins in ATPS provided the potential for high abundance proteins depletion in proteomics. ~ 2009 Feng Qu. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society. All rights reserved.

Separation of non-denatured proteins using semi-crosslinked polyacrylamide capillary gel electrophoresis

This work presents an approach to build a high-performance, low-viscous and replaceable separation matrix, semi-crosslinked polyacrylamide （semi-CPA） capillary gel electrophoresis. Non- denatured basic proteins, such as lysozyme, cytochrome C, ribonuclease A and trypsin were separa- ted. The impacts of monomer and cross-linker concentrations on protein separation were studied, and the ability of dynamic capillary inner wall coating was demonstrated. The UV absorption interfer- ence by semi-CPA gel matrix was successfully overcome by a partial filling technique, which results in sensitivity 20 times higher than other protein separation method. The excellent separation ability, reproducibility and dynamic coating ability made semi-CPA an ideal separation media in both capillar- y electrophoresis and microfluidic chip separation scheme.

Exosomes derived from microglia overexpressing miR-124-3p alleviate neuronal endoplasmic reticulum stress damage after repetitive mild traumatic brain injury

We previously reported that miR-124-3p is markedly upregulated in microglia-derived exosomes following repetitive mild traumatic brain injury.However,its impact on neuronal endoplasmic reticulum stress following repetitive mild traumatic brain injury remains unclear.In this study,we first used an HT22 scratch injury model to mimic traumatic brain injury,then co-cultured the HT22 cells with BV2 microglia expressing high levels of miR-124-3p.We found that exosomes containing high levels of miR-124-3p attenuated apoptosis and endoplasmic reticulum stress.Furthermore,luciferase reporter assay analysis confirmed that miR-124-3p bound specifically to the endoplasmic reticulum stress-related protein IRE1α,while an IRE1αfunctional salvage experiment confirmed that miR-124-3p targeted IRE1αand reduced its expression,thereby inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress in injured neurons.Finally,we delivered microglia-derived exosomes containing miR-124-3p intranasally to a mouse model of repetitive mild traumatic brain injury and found that endoplasmic reticulum stress and apoptosis levels in hippocampal neurons were significantly reduced.These findings suggest that,after repetitive mild traumatic brain injury,miR-124-3 can be transferred from microglia-derived exosomes to injured neurons,where it exerts a neuroprotective effect by inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress.Therefore,microglia-derived exosomes containing miR-124-3p may represent a novel therapeutic strategy for repetitive mild traumatic brain injury.

眼镜蛇毒细胞毒素-1的分离纯化及其对HSC-LX2细胞PI3K/AKT 信号通路的影响

肝纤维化是多种刺激诱导的肝脏反复损伤的一种病理再生反应[1],其主要表征是肝脏中沉积着过量的细胞外基质(extracellular matrix,ECM)。ECM产生主要原因之一是由于肝星状细胞(hepatic stellate cell,HSC)被大量激活分化,磷脂酰肌醇-3-激酶/蛋白激酶B(PI3K/AKT)信号通路是一条重要的细胞内信号通路,能通过影响HSC的增殖和凋亡来调节肝纤维化[2-4]。

Capillary Zone Electrophoretic Separation of Basic Proteins with Coated Columns Prepared by Sol-Gel Technology

Coated capillary columns were prepared by sol-gel technology and used in the separation of basic proteins with capillary zone electrophoresis. The results indicated that a significant decrease in protein adsorption was obtained and EOF was also diminished to zero in the pH range of 3-10.

Cloning and Sequence Analysis of Ma-14-3-3d Encoding a Homologue 14-3-3 Protein from Banana

[Objective] The aim of the study is to clone and analyze the gene encoding 14-3-3 protein from banana. [Method] Combined with PCR amplification, RACE (rapid amplification of cDNA ends) technique was employed to clone 14-3-3 gene from banana; then the amplified sequence was sequenced and homologically analyzed. [Result] A new cDNA homologous with 14-3-3 protein genes were obtained by RT-PCR and RACE ( rapid amplification of cDNA ends ) approaches. The full length of this cDNA was 866 bp encoding 197 amino acids. Alignment of deduced amino acid sequence with those from other plants revealed that the cDNA shared high homology with 14-3-3 protein genes from other plants, and was designated as Musa acuminata 14-3-3 gene (Ma-14-3-3d). Phylogenetic analysis reveals that Ma-14-3-3d has closer genetic relationship with those from monocotyledon species than those from other species. [Conclusion] Ma-14-3-3d belongs to the same lineage of 14-3-3 from monocotyledon.

Capillary Zone Electrophoretic Separation of Proteins in Polymer Coated Capillaries

Fused-silica capillaries used in capillary zone electrophoresis were statically coated with γ- glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane and epoxy polymer in order to suppress wall adsorption in the separation of proteins. It has been shown that a significant decrease in adsorption was obtained and eletroosmotic flow was the diminished in the pH range 3-5. However with higher pH values, appreciable peak deformation and decreases in the resolving power were observed. Under pH 5, the epoxy polymer coating was shown to be quite stable and exhibited reproducible separations from run-to-run and day-to-day over a period of time.

Overexpression of 14-3-3 protein protects pheochromocytoma cells against 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium toxicity

Objective To investigate the effects of 14-3-3 protein overexpression on the 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium （MPP^＋） induced pheochromocytoma （PC12） cell death and the potential mechanisms. Methods pcDNA3.1（＋）-14-3-3 plasmids, which could be expressed in mammalian cell, were constructed and transfected into PC 12 cells with Lipofectamine 2000. The expression of 14-3-3 protein, Bcl-2 protein, and BAD protein were determined by western blot. 3-（4,5- dimethylthiazol-2-yl）-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide （MTT） assay, microplate reader, and flow cytometric analysis were used to measure cell viability, the caspase activity, and apoptotic ratio respectively. Results （1） The expression of 14-3-3 protein increased significantly three weeks after pcDNA3.1（＋）-14-3-3 plasmids transfected into PC 12 cells. （2） MPP^＋ caused a decrease of cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. At 100μmol/L MPP^＋, cell viability reduced approximately 50%. （3） The caspase activity increased along with the MPP^＋ concentrations rising and reached its maximum value （0.34 μmol/mg protein） at 100 μmol/L MPP＊. However caspase activity decreased significantly when the MPP^＋ concentration exceeded 100 μmol/L. （4） Overexpression of 14-3-3 protein decreased the apoptosis ratio of PC 12 cells treated with 100μmol/L MPP^＋ from 26.5% to 8.6%. （5） Bcl-2 protein tended to decrease but BAD protein tended to increase after treatment of PC 12 cells with 100 μmol/L MPP^＋. Overexpression of 14-3-3 protein significantly increased the cellular level of Bcl-2 protein and decreased that of BAD protein. Conclusion Overexpression of 14-3-3 protein may reduce MPP^＋-induced apoptotic cell death in PC12 cells by up-regulating the Bcl-2 expression and down-regulating the BAD expression. These results may provide a promising target for treatment of Parkinson＇s disease.

Involvement of ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK in up-regulation of 14-3-3 protein induced by hydrogen peroxide preconditioning in PC12 cells

Objective To investigate the protective effects of hydrogen peroxide preconditioning （HPP） on the pheochromocytoma （PC12） cells treated with 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium （MPP^＋） and to explore the potential mechanisms. Methods The viability and apoptosis of PC 12 cells were determinded by 3-（4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl）-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide （MTT） assay and 4′,6′-diamidino-2-phenylindole （DAPI） staining, respectively. The expressions of 14-3-3 protein and phospholylated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK） were determined by Western blot. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to measure the activity of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase 1/2 （ERK1/2）. Results The cell viability decreased and the number of apoptotic cells increased dramatically in MPP^＋ group compared with that in Control group. HPP induced a significant increase in cell viability and a marked decrease in population of apoptotic cells of the MPP^＋- treated PC 12 cells, accompanied with up-regulation of 14-3-3 protein and increase of ERK 1/2 and p38 MAPK activities. The 14-3-3 protein expression was positively correlated with the phosphorylation of ERK1/2. Furthermore, inhibition of the ERK1/2 with PD98059 abolished the 14-3-3 protein up-regulation in PC 12 cells induced by HPP. Conclusion HPP protects PC 12 cells against MPP＋ toxicity by up-regulating 14-3-3 protein expression through the ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK signaling pathways.

Prediction of Protein OmpH in Structure of C47-8 Pasteurella multocida

[Objective] This study aimed to predict the structure of protein OmpH from Pasteurella multocida C47-8 （PmC47-8） strain of yak. [Method] Online BLAST, signal peptide prediction, secondary structure prediction and protein characteristics of sequencing result of gene OmpH from PmC47-8 strain were analyzed. [Result] The similarities of gene OmpH from PmC47-8 with the published 81 OmpH genes were between 84% and 99%; a signal peptide was found with the cleavage sites between 20 and 21 in the polypeptide; secondary structure prediction showed that folding structure accounted for 49.8% and loop structure for 50.2%; it predicted that there were 7 O-glycosylation sites in OmpH protein with the amino acid residual sites of 2, 45, 48, 330, 716, 721, 723, respectively, and 2 N-glycosylation sites with the amino acid residual sites of 15 and 35. [Conclusion] This study lays the foundation for the study on the immunity of OmpH gene from yak.

The RNA binding protein EHD6 recruits the m^(6)A reader YTH07 and sequesters OsCOL4 mRNA into phase-separated ribonucleoprotein condensates to promote rice flowering

N6-Methyladenosine(m^(6)A)is one of the most abundant modifications of eukaryotic mRNA,but its comprehensive biological functionality remains further exploration.In this study,we identified and characterized a new flowering-promoting gene,EARLY HEADING DATE6(EHD6),in rice.EHD6 encodes an RNA recognition motif(RRM)-containing RNA binding protein that is localized in the non-membranous cytoplasm ribonucleoprotein(RNP)granules and can bind both m^(6)A-modified RNA and unmodified RNA indiscriminately.We found that EHD6 can physically interact with YTH07,a YTH(YT521-B homology)domain-containing m^(6)A reader.We showed that their interaction enhances the binding of an m^(6)A-modified RNA and triggers relocation of a portion of YTH07 from the cytoplasm into RNP granules through phase-separated condensation.Within these condensates,the mRNA of a rice flowering repressor,CONSTANS-like 4(OsCOL4),becomes sequestered,leading to a reduction in its protein abundance and thus accelerated flowering through the Early heading date 1 pathway.Taken together,these results not only shed new light on the molecular mechanism of efficient m^(6)A recognition by the collaboration between an RNA binding protein and YTH family m^(6)A reader,but also uncover the potential for m^(6)A-mediated translation regulation through phaseseparated ribonucleoprotein condensation in rice.

Plant RNA-binding proteins:Phase separation dynamics and functional mechanisms underlying plant development and stress responses

RNA-binding proteins(RBPs)accompany RNA from synthesis to decay,mediating every aspect of RNA metabolism and impacting diverse cellular and developmental processes in eukaryotes.Many RBPs undergo phase separation along with their bound RNA to form and function in dynamic membraneless biomolecular condensates for spatiotemporal coordination or regulation of RNA metabolism.Increasing evidence suggests that phase-separating RBPs with RNA-binding domains and intrinsically disordered regions play important roles in plant development and stress adaptation.Here,we summarize the current knowledge about how dynamic partitioning of RBPs into condensates controls plant development and enables sensing of experimental changes to confer growth plasticity under stress conditions,with a focus on the dynamics and functional mechanisms of RBP-rich nuclear condensates and cytoplasmic granules in mediating RNA metabolism.We also discuss roles of multiple factors,such as environmental signals,protein modifications,and N6-methyladenosine RNA methylation,in modulating the phase separation behaviors of RBPs,and highlight the prospects and challenges for future research on phase-separating RBPs in crops.

New Development of Reverse Micelles and Applications in Protein Separation and Refolding

Reverse micelles bring mild and effective microenvironments in organic solvent that contain bitmolecules, which have attracted immense attention for application in the isolation of proteins, protein refolding, and enzymatic reaction. In this review, the application of reverse micelles for protein separation and refolding has been briefly summarized and various reverse micellar systems composed of different surfactants, including ionic, non- ionic, mixed, and affinity-based reverse micelles, have been highlighted. It illustrates especially the potential application of the novel affinity-based reverse micelles consisting of biocompatible surfactant coupled with affinity ligands. Moreover, the importance to develop universal affinity-based reverse micelles for protein separation and refolding in the downstream processing of biotechnology has been pointed out.