This editorial summarizes the latest literature on the roles of neuronal PAS domain protein 2 and KN motif/ankyrin repeat domain 1 in type 2 diabetes(T2D).We highlight their involvement inβ-cell dysfunction,explore t...This editorial summarizes the latest literature on the roles of neuronal PAS domain protein 2 and KN motif/ankyrin repeat domain 1 in type 2 diabetes(T2D).We highlight their involvement inβ-cell dysfunction,explore their potential as therapeutic targets,and discuss the implications for new treatment strategies.We offer valuable insights into relevant gene regulation and cellular mechanisms relevant for the targeted management of T2D.展开更多
Domains are basic structural and functional unit of proteins,and,thus,exploring associations between protein domains and human inherited diseases will greatly improve our understanding of the pathogenesis of human com...Domains are basic structural and functional unit of proteins,and,thus,exploring associations between protein domains and human inherited diseases will greatly improve our understanding of the pathogenesis of human complex diseases and further benefit the medical prevention,diagnosis and treatment of these diseases.Based on the assumption that deleterious nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms(nsSNPs)underlying human complex diseases may actually change structures of protein domains,affect functions of corresponding proteins,and finally result in these diseases,we compile a dataset that contains 1174 associations between 433 protein domains and 848 human disease phenotypes.With this dataset,we compare two approaches(guilt-by-association and correlation coefficient)that use a domain-domain interaction network and a phenotype similarity network to prioritize associations between candidate domains and human disease phenotypes.We implement these methods with three distance measures(direct neighbor,shortest path with Gaussian kernel,and diffusion kernel),demonstrate the effectiveness of these methods using three large-scale leave-one-out cross-validation experiments(random control,simulated linkage interval,and whole-genome scan),and evaluate the performance of these methods in terms of three criteria(mean rank ratio,precision,and AUC score).Results show that both methods can effectively prioritize domains that are associated with human diseases at the top of the candidate list,while the correlation coefficient approach can achieve slightly higher performance in most cases.Finally,taking the advantage that the correlation coefficient method does not require known disease-domain associations,we calculate a genome-wide landscape of associations between 4036 protein domains and 5080 human disease phenotypes using this method and offer a freely accessible web interface for this landscape.展开更多
Objective:To construct a secretory eukaryotic expression vector of DSG2 fused with the Fc region of the human IgG,to validate its expression in 293T cells,and to purify the secretory protein with biological activity.M...Objective:To construct a secretory eukaryotic expression vector of DSG2 fused with the Fc region of the human IgG,to validate its expression in 293T cells,and to purify the secretory protein with biological activity.Methods:The DSG2 extracellular domain fragment gene(DSG2ex),was amplified by PCR,and was inserted into the eukaryotic expression plasmid pCMV3-IgG1 to construct the recombinant eukaryotic expression plasmid-pCMV3-DSG2ex-IgG1.The successfully constructed eukaryotic expression plasmid was transfected into 293T cells to express and secrete DSG2 extracellular domain protein.The targeted protein was purified from the cell culture supernatant by Protein A affinity chromatography and confirmed by Western Blotting and ELISA.Results:The pCMV3-DSG2ex-IgG1 eukaryotic expression plasmid was successfully constructed.The highest protein expression level was obtained with 293T cells after 96 h of transfection.The relative molecular mass of the purified product was between 100 and 130 kDa was estimated by SDS-PAGE,which was consistent with the expectation.The yield of the purified protein reached 0.8 mg/ml with a purity over 90%.The purified DSG2 extracellular domain protein with IgG1 tag was recognized by IgG monoclonal antibodies by Western blotting.Moreover,the ELISA results showed that the prepared DSG2 extracellular domain protein had significant binding activity to human type 55 adenovirus Fiber Knob protein(HAdV-55).Conclusion:A simple and efficient method for eukaryotic expression and purification of human soluble DSG2 extracellular domain protein was successfully established,and biologically active DSG2 extracellular domain protein was purified,which laid the foundation for the later study of its protein function and anti-adenovirus drugs.展开更多
In the present study, the interaction of human p100 protein with signal transducer and activator of transcription-6 (STAT-6) was investigated. It was proved that the staphylococcal nuclease (SN)-like and tudor (TD) do...In the present study, the interaction of human p100 protein with signal transducer and activator of transcription-6 (STAT-6) was investigated. It was proved that the staphylococcal nuclease (SN)-like and tudor (TD) domains containing in p100 protein acting as a adaptor to recruit STAT-6 to the basal transcription machinery, enhanced the STAT-6 mediated transcription activity. The interaction between STAT-6 and the p100 protein was mediated by the full-length of the SN-like domain, whereas individual fragments of SN-like domain showed no binding activity to STAT-6. In line with these results, the SN-like domain was directly engaged in the enhancement of STAT-6 mediated activation of gene transcription in vivo. Yet the TD domain had no ability to increase the transcription activation, but it was still required for the sufficient activation of transcription.展开更多
Objective:This study aimed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of petal and stamen extracts of saffron crocus(Crocus sativus)and explore the underlying mechanism.Methods:Local and systemic inflammation models we...Objective:This study aimed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of petal and stamen extracts of saffron crocus(Crocus sativus)and explore the underlying mechanism.Methods:Local and systemic inflammation models were used to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of C.sativus.A xyleneinduced inflammation model or lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced inflammation model was used in this study.C.sativus petal and stamen extracts were each administered to the mice in the xylene and LPS models by gavage for 14 d at 0.1 and 0.4 g/kg doses,respectively.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was used to measure the concentrations of tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-αand interleukin(IL)-1βin mouse serum.Hematoxylin and eosin(H&E)staining was used to observe the pathological changes in the ear in the xylene-induced inflammation model and in the spleen in the LPS-induced inflammation model.NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3(NLRP3)protein levels within the nuclear factor-kappa B(NF-κB)pathway were assessed using western blotting.RAW264.7 cells were treated with LPS(5μg/mL)and LPS+C.sativus(0.05,0.1,and 0.2 mg/mL)for 24 h,and a Cell Counting Kit-8 was used to measure cell proliferation.Changes in NLRP3 and NF-κB levels were evaluated by western blotting.Results:Petal and stamen extracts of C.sativus attenuated the anti-inflammatory effects in local or systemic inflammatory models and repaired pathological changes in the ear in the xylene-induced inflammation model and spleen in the LPS-induced inflammation model.These extracts also decreased the concentrations of TNF-αand IL-1βin the mouse serum in the LPS-induced inflammation model.C.sativus downregulated NLRP3 protein level through the NF-κB pathway and downregulated LC-3 and BECLIN1 in vivo and in vitro.Carbonyl Cyanide3-ChloroPhenylhydrazone(CCCP)weakened the effects of C.sativus on the NLRP3–NF-κB pathway.Conclusion:C.sativus has anti-inflammatory effects and regulates the NLRP3-NF-κB pathway.展开更多
The flesh color of pummelo(Citrus maxima)fruits is highly diverse and largely depends on the level of carotenoids,which are beneficial to human health.It is vital to investigate the regulatory network of carotenoid bi...The flesh color of pummelo(Citrus maxima)fruits is highly diverse and largely depends on the level of carotenoids,which are beneficial to human health.It is vital to investigate the regulatory network of carotenoid biosynthesis to improve the carotenoid content in pummelo.However,the molecular mechanism underlying carotenoid accumulation in pummelo is not fully understood.In this study,we identified a novel histone methyltransferase gene,CgSDG40,involved in carotenoid regulation by analyzing the flesh transcriptome of typical white-fleshed pummelo,red-fleshed pummelo and extreme-colored F1 hybrids from a segregated pummelo population.Expression of CgSDG40 corresponded to flesh color change and was highly coexpressed with CgPSY1.Interestingly,CgSDG40 and CgPSY1 are located physically adjacent to each other on the chromosome in opposite directions,sharing a partially overlapping promoter region.Subcellular localization analysis indicated that CgSDG40 localizes to the nucleus.Overexpression of CgSDG40 significantly increased the total carotenoid content in citrus calli relative to that in wild type.In addition,expression of CgPSY1 was significantly activated in overexpression lines relative to wild type.Taken together,our findings reveal a novel histone methyltransferase regulator,CgSDG40,involved in the regulation of carotenoid biosynthesis in citrus and provide new strategies for molecular design breeding and genetic improvement of fruit color and nutritional quality.展开更多
BACKGROUND Sotos syndrome is an autosomal dominant disorder,whereas attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder(ADHD)is a neurodevelopmental condition.This report aimed to summarize the clinical and genetic features of a...BACKGROUND Sotos syndrome is an autosomal dominant disorder,whereas attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder(ADHD)is a neurodevelopmental condition.This report aimed to summarize the clinical and genetic features of a pediatric case of Soros syndrome and ADHD in a child exhibiting precocious puberty.CASE SUMMARY The patient presented with accelerated growth and advanced skeletal maturation;however,she lacked any distinct facial characteristics related to specific genetic disorders.Genetic analyses revealed a paternally inherited heterozygous synonymous mutation[c.4605C>T(p.Arg1535Arg)].Functional analyses suggested that this mutation may disrupt splicing,and bioinformatics analyses predicted that this mutation was likely pathogenic.After an initial diagnosis of Sotos syndrome,the patient was diagnosed with ADHD during the follow-up period at the age of 8 years and 7 months.CONCLUSION The potential for comorbid ADHD in Sotos syndrome patients should be considered to avoid the risk of a missed diagnosis.展开更多
BACKGROUND Adaptor protein,phosphotyrosine interacting with PH domain and leucine zipper 1(APPL1)plays a crucial role in regulating insulin signaling and glucose metabolism.Mutations in the APPL1 gene have been associ...BACKGROUND Adaptor protein,phosphotyrosine interacting with PH domain and leucine zipper 1(APPL1)plays a crucial role in regulating insulin signaling and glucose metabolism.Mutations in the APPL1 gene have been associated with the development of maturity-onset diabetes of the young type 14(MODY14).Currently,only two mutations[c.1655T>A(p.Leu552*)and c.281G>A p.(Asp94Asn)]have been identified in association with this disease.Given the limited understanding of MODY14,it is imperative to identify additional cases and carry out comprehensive research on MODY14 and APPL1 mutations.AIM To assess the pathogenicity of APPL1 gene mutations in diabetic patients and to characterize the functional role of the APPL1 domain.METHODS Patients exhibiting clinical signs and a medical history suggestive of MODY were screened for the study.Whole exome sequencing was performed on the patients as well as their family members.The pathogenicity of the identified APPL1 variants was predicted on the basis of bioinformatics analysis.In addition,the pathogenicity of the novel APPL1 variant was preliminarily evaluated through in vitro functional experiments.Finally,the impact of these variants on APPL1 protein expression and the insulin pathway were assessed,and the potential mechanism underlying the interaction between the APPL1 protein and the insulin receptor was further explored.RESULTS A total of five novel mutations were identified,including four missense mutations(Asp632Tyr,Arg633His,Arg532Gln,and Ile642Met)and one intronic mutation(1153-16A>T).Pathogenicity prediction analysis revealed that the Arg532Gln was pathogenic across all predictions.The Asp632Tyr and Arg633His variants also had pathogenicity based on MutationTaster.In addition,multiple alignment of amino acid sequences showed that the Arg532Gln,Asp632Tyr,and Arg633His variants were conserved across different species.Moreover,in in vitro functional experiments,both the c.1894G>T(at Asp632Tyr)and c.1595G>A(at Arg532Gln)mutations were found to downregulate the expression of APPL1 on both protein and mRNA levels,indicating their pathogenic nature.Therefore,based on the patient’s clinical and family history,combined with the results from bioinformatics analysis and functional experiment,the c.1894G>T(at Asp632Tyr)and c.1595G>A(at Arg532Gln)mutations were classified as pathogenic mutations.Importantly,all these mutations were located within the phosphotyrosinebinding domain of APPL1,which plays a critical role in the insulin sensitization effect.CONCLUSION This study provided new insights into the pathogenicity of APPL1 gene mutations in diabetes and revealed a potential target for the diagnosis and treatment of the disease.展开更多
Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus closely related to the human pathogens including yellow fever virus, dengue virus and West Nile virus. There are currently no effective antiviral therap...Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus closely related to the human pathogens including yellow fever virus, dengue virus and West Nile virus. There are currently no effective antiviral therapies for all of the flavivirus and only a few highly effective vaccines are licensed for human use. In this paper, the E protein domain III (DIII) of six heterologous flaviviruses (DENV1-4, WNV and JEV) was expressed in Escherichia coli successfully. The proteins were purified after a solubilization and refolding procedure, characterized by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. Competitive inhibition showed that all recombinant flavivirus DIII proteins blocked the entry of JEV into BHK-21 cells. Further studies indicated that antibodies induced by the soluble recombinant flavivirus DIII partially protected mice against lethal JEV challenge. These results demonstrated that recombinant flavivirus DIII proteins could inhibit JEV infection competitively, and immunization with proper folding flavivirus DIII induced cross-protection against JEV infection in mice, implying a possible role of DIII for the cross-protection among flavivirus as well as its use in antigens for immunization in animal models.展开更多
Summary: The role of methyl-CpG binding domain protein 2 (MBD2) in an ApoE-deficient mouse model of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) was investigated. Eight-week-old Mbd2/ApoE double deficient (Mbd2^-/- Ap...Summary: The role of methyl-CpG binding domain protein 2 (MBD2) in an ApoE-deficient mouse model of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) was investigated. Eight-week-old Mbd2/ApoE double deficient (Mbd2^-/- ApoE^-/-) mice (n=12, 24 eyes, experimental group) and MBD2 (wt) ApoE^-/- mice (n=12, 24 eyes, control group) were fed on Western-type diet for 4 months. The mice were sacrificed, and total serum cholesterol levels were analyzed and Bruch's membrane (BM) of the eyes was removed for ultrastructural observation by transmission electron microscopy. Moreover, intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) immunoreactivities were evaluated by fluorescence microscopy in sections of the eyes in both groups for further understanding the function mechanism of MBD2. There was no significant difference in the total serum cholesterol levels between control group and experimental group (P〉0.05). Transmission electron microscopy revealed that AMD-like lesions, various vacuoles accumulated on BM, notable outer collagenous layer deposits and dilated basal infoldings of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) were seen in both groups, and the BM in control group was significantly thickened as compared with experimental group (P〈0.05). Fluorescence micrographs exhibited the expression of ICAM-1 in choroid was higher in control group than in experimental group. We are led to conclude that MBD2 gene knockout may lead to accumulation of more deposits on the BM and influence the pathogenesis of AMD via triggering endothelial activation and inflammatory response in choroid, improving microcirculation, and reducing lipid deposition so as to inhibit the development of AMD-like lesions. Our study helps to provide a new therapeutic approach for the clinical treatment of AMD.展开更多
AIM:To investigate the reciprocal modulation between microRNA(miRNA) and DNA methylation via exploring the correlation between miR-373 and methyl-CpGbinding domain protein(MBD)2.METHODS:MiR-373 expression was examined...AIM:To investigate the reciprocal modulation between microRNA(miRNA) and DNA methylation via exploring the correlation between miR-373 and methyl-CpGbinding domain protein(MBD)2.METHODS:MiR-373 expression was examined using the TaqMan miRNA assay.Methylation of miR-373 was investigated using methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction,and recruitment of methyl binding proteins was studied using the chromatin immunoprecipitation assay.Mutation analysis was conducted using the QuikChange Site-Directed Mutagenesis kit.The activity of miR-373 gene promoter constructs and targeting at MBD2-three prime untranslated region(3'UTR) by miR-373 were evaluated by a dual-luciferase reporter gene assay.RESULTS:In hilar cholangiocarcinoma,miR-373 decreased and was closely associated with poor cell differentiation,advanced clinical stage,and shorter survival.The promoter-associated CpG island of miR-373 gene was hypermethylated and inhibited expression of miR-373.MBD2 was up-regulated and enriched at the promoter-associated CpG island of miR-373.Methylation-mediated suppression of miR-373 required MBD2 enrichment at the promoter-associated CpG island,and miR-373 negatively regulated MBD2 expression through targeting the 3'UTR.CONCLUSION:MiR-373 behaves as a direct transcriptional target and negative regulator of MBD2 activity through a feedback loop of CpG island methylation.展开更多
Detecting the boundaries of protein domains is an important and challenging task in both experimental and computational structural biology. In this paper, a promising method for detecting the domain structure of a pro...Detecting the boundaries of protein domains is an important and challenging task in both experimental and computational structural biology. In this paper, a promising method for detecting the domain structure of a protein from sequence information alone is presented. The method is based on analyzing multiple sequence alignments derived from a database search. Multiple measures are defined to quantify the domain information content of each position along the sequence. Then they are combined into a single predictor using support vector machine. What is more important, the domain detection is first taken as an imbal- anced data learning problem. A novel undersampling method is proposed on distance-based maximal entropy in the feature space of Support Vector Machine (SVM). The overall precision is about 80%. Simulation results demonstrate that the method can help not only in predicting the complete 3D structure of a protein but also in the machine learning system on general im- balanced datasets.展开更多
In this paper, we attempt to understand complex network evolution from the underlying evolutionary relationship between biological organisms. Firstly, we construct a Pfam domain interaction network for each of the 470...In this paper, we attempt to understand complex network evolution from the underlying evolutionary relationship between biological organisms. Firstly, we construct a Pfam domain interaction network for each of the 470 completely sequenced organisms, and therefore each organism is correlated with a specific Pfam domain interaction network; secondly, we infer the evolutionary relationship of these organisms with the nearest neighbour joining method; thirdly, we use the evolutionary relationship between organisms constructed in the second step as the evolutionary course of the Pfam domain interaction network constructed in the first step. This analysis of the evolutionary course shows: (i) there is a conserved sub-network structure in network evolution; in this sub-network, nodes with lower degree prefer to maintain their connectivity invariant, and hubs tend to maintain their role as a hub is attached preferentially to new added nodes; (ii) few nodes are conserved as hubs; most of the other nodes are conserved as one with very low degree; (iii) in the course of network evolution, new nodes are added to the network either individually in most cases or as clusters with relative high clustering coefficients in a very few cases.展开更多
In this study, we employed chromatin immunoprecipitation, a useful method for studying the locations of transcription factors bound to specific DNA regions in specific cells, to investigate amyloid precursor protein i...In this study, we employed chromatin immunoprecipitation, a useful method for studying the locations of transcription factors bound to specific DNA regions in specific cells, to investigate amyloid precursor protein intracellular domain binding sites in chromatin DNA from hippocampal neurons of rats, and to screen out five putative genes associated with the learning and memory functions. The promoter regions of the calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II alpha and glutamate receptor-2 genes were amplified by PCR from DNA products immunoprecipitated by amyloid precursor protein intracellular domain. An electrophoretic mobility shift assay and western blot analysis suggested that the promoter regions of these two genes associated with learning and memory were bound by amyloid precursor protein intracellular domain (in complex form). Our experimental findings indicate that the amyloid precursor protein intracellular domain is involved in the transcriptional regulation of learning- and memory-associated genes in hippocampal neurons. These data may provide new insights into the molecular mechanism underlying the symptoms of progressive memory loss in Alzheimer's disease.展开更多
Human p100 protein consists of four repeated domains of staphylococcal nuclease (SN)-like domain, as well as a tudor (TD) domain thereafter. We have previously shown that the SN-like domain of p100 interacted with...Human p100 protein consists of four repeated domains of staphylococcal nuclease (SN)-like domain, as well as a tudor (TD) domain thereafter. We have previously shown that the SN-like domain of p100 interacted with STAT6 and the large subunit of RNA pol Ⅱ , resulting in the enhancement of STAT6-mediated gene transcriptional activation. Here, we show that SN-like domain also interacted with CREB binding protein (CBP) and directly enhanced the acetyl transferase activity of CBP on histone. On the other hand, overexpression of CBP alone had no ability to significantly increase STAT6- dependent transcriptional activation, however, together with p100 protein, sufficiently enhanced the activation of transcription which was in line with the previous result that p100 protein bridged STAT6 with CBP.展开更多
N6-methyladenosine(m^(6)A)is a dynamic and reversible epigenetic regulation.As the most prevalent internal post-transcriptional modification in eukaryotic RNA,it participates in the regulation of gene expression throu...N6-methyladenosine(m^(6)A)is a dynamic and reversible epigenetic regulation.As the most prevalent internal post-transcriptional modification in eukaryotic RNA,it participates in the regulation of gene expression through various mechanisms,such as mRNA splicing,nuclear export,localization,translation efficiency,mRNA stability,and structural transformation.The involvement of m^(6)A in the regulation of gene expression depends on the specific recognition of m^(6)A-modified RNA by reader proteins.In the pathogenesis and treatment of liver disease,studies have found that the expression levels of key genes that promote or inhibit the development of liver disease are regulated by m^(6)A modification,in which abnormal expression of reader proteins determines the fate of these gene transcripts.In this review,we introduce m^(6)A readers,summarize the recognition and regulatory mechanisms of m^(6)A readers on mRNA,and focus on the biological functions and mechanisms of m^(6)A readers in liver cancer,viral hepatitis,non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD),hepatic fibrosis(HF),acute liver injury(ALI),and other liver diseases.This information is expected to be of high value to researchers deciphering the links between m^(6)A readers and human liver diseases.展开更多
The relationship between T cell immunoglobulin domain and mucin domain protein 3(Tim-3)/Galectin(Gal)-9 pathway and recurrent spontaneous abortion(RSA) was studied. Thirty-one pregnant women with RSA and 27 norm...The relationship between T cell immunoglobulin domain and mucin domain protein 3(Tim-3)/Galectin(Gal)-9 pathway and recurrent spontaneous abortion(RSA) was studied. Thirty-one pregnant women with RSA and 27 normal early gravidas were investigated to detect the levels of Tim-3 and Gal-9 in villi and deciduas by Western blotting. Meanwhile, the concentration of interleukin(IL)-4 and IL-12 in peripheral blood plasma was determined by ELISA in 25 healthy fertile non-pregnant controls, the normal early gravidas and pregnant women with RSA mentioned above, respectively. It was found that the relative expression levels of Tim-3 and Gal-9 in villi and deciduas were significantly increased in pregnant women with RSA as compared with those in the normal early gravidas. The concentration of IL-4 in peripheral blood plasma of pregnant women with RSA was lower than that of the normal early gravidas(P〈0.05) and healthy fertile non-pregnant controls(P〈0.05), but that of IL-2 in pregnant women with RSA was significantly higher than that of the normal early gravidas(P〈0.05) and healthy fertile non-pregnant controls(P〈0.05). It was suggested that the overexpression of Tim-3/Gal-9 pathway may be related to the pathogenesis of RSA.展开更多
AIM TO uncover the roles of tumor-promoting gene ZEB1 in aerobic glycolysis regulation and shed light on the underlying molecular mechanism.METHODS Endogenous zinc finger E-box binding homeobox-1 (ZEB1) was silenced...AIM TO uncover the roles of tumor-promoting gene ZEB1 in aerobic glycolysis regulation and shed light on the underlying molecular mechanism.METHODS Endogenous zinc finger E-box binding homeobox-1 (ZEB1) was silenced using a and the impact of ZEB1 and lentivirus-mediated method, methyI-CpG binding domain protein 1 (MBD1) on aerobic glycolysis was measured using seahorse cellular flux analyzers, reactive oxygen species quantification, and mitochondrial membrane potential measurement. The interaction between ZEB1 and MBD1 was assessed by co-immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence assays. The impact of ZEB1 and MBD1 interaction on sirtuin 3 (SIRT3) expression was confirmed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, and dual-luciferase and chromatinimmunoprecipitation assays.RESULTS ZEB1 was a positive regulator of aerobic glycolysis in pancreatic cancer. ZEB1 transcriptionally silenced expression of SIRT3, a mitochondrial-localized tumor suppressor, through interaction with MBD1.CONCLUSION ZEB1 silenced SIRT3 expression via interaction with MBD1 to promote aerobic glycolysis in pancreatic cancer.展开更多
To investigate the distribution characteristics and linkage disequilibrium of T cell immunoglobulin domain and mucin domain protein 4 (TIM4) promoter polymorphisms in asthma patients of Chinese Han population, the p...To investigate the distribution characteristics and linkage disequilibrium of T cell immunoglobulin domain and mucin domain protein 4 (TIM4) promoter polymorphisms in asthma patients of Chinese Han population, the promoter region of TIM4 was re-sequenced by PCR-sequencing, and linkage disequilibrium was analyzed by SHEsis software. Four single nucleotide polymor- phisms (SNPs) in the promoter region of TIM4 were detected, including two new SNPs (at positions -1609, -153) and two reported SNPs (rs6874202, rs6882076). The frequency distribution of rs6882076 was different among different races (P〈0.05). In addition, linkage disequilibrium among the SNPs of the promoter region of TIM4 was found and GGTG was the predominant haplotype. There were four SNPs in the promoter region of TIM4 in asthma patients of Chinese Han population, which were in linkage disequilibrium.展开更多
BACKGROUND Cladosporium and Corynespora cassiicola(C.cassiicola)infections rarely occur in humans.Mutations in human caspase recruitment domain protein 9(CARD9)are reported to be associated with fungal diseases.Pulmon...BACKGROUND Cladosporium and Corynespora cassiicola(C.cassiicola)infections rarely occur in humans.Mutations in human caspase recruitment domain protein 9(CARD9)are reported to be associated with fungal diseases.Pulmonary Cladosporium infection coexisting with subcutaneous C.cassiicola infection in a patient with a CARD9 mutation has not been reported in the literature.CASE SUMMARY A 68-year-old male patient was hospitalized for hypertrophic erythema and deep ulcers on the left upper extremity.He was diagnosed with pneumonia caused by Cladosporium,as identified through bronchoalveolar lavage fluid analysis,and deep dermatophytosis caused by C.cassiicola,as identified through morphological characteristics of the wound secretion culture.He underwent antifungal therapy(voriconazole)and recovered successfully.He carried two mutations in CARD9(chr9:139266425 and chr9:139262240)and was therefore susceptible to fungal infections.CONCLUSION This case study is the first to report the coexistence of pulmonary Cladosporium infection and subcutaneous C.cassiicola infection in a patient with CARD9 mutation.Our findings will be helpful in enriching the phenotypic spectrum of fungal infections underlying CARD9 deficiency.展开更多
文摘This editorial summarizes the latest literature on the roles of neuronal PAS domain protein 2 and KN motif/ankyrin repeat domain 1 in type 2 diabetes(T2D).We highlight their involvement inβ-cell dysfunction,explore their potential as therapeutic targets,and discuss the implications for new treatment strategies.We offer valuable insights into relevant gene regulation and cellular mechanisms relevant for the targeted management of T2D.
基金This work was partly supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.60805010,60928007,60934004,and 10926027)Tsinghua National Laboratory for Information Science and Technology(TNLIST)Cross-discipline Foundation,the Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China(No.200800031009)+2 种基金the Scientific Research Foundation for the Returned Overseas Chinese Scholars,China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(No.20090450396)the Scientist Research Fund of Shandong Province(No.BS2009SW044)the Doctor Research Fund from University of Jinan(No.XBS0914).
文摘Domains are basic structural and functional unit of proteins,and,thus,exploring associations between protein domains and human inherited diseases will greatly improve our understanding of the pathogenesis of human complex diseases and further benefit the medical prevention,diagnosis and treatment of these diseases.Based on the assumption that deleterious nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms(nsSNPs)underlying human complex diseases may actually change structures of protein domains,affect functions of corresponding proteins,and finally result in these diseases,we compile a dataset that contains 1174 associations between 433 protein domains and 848 human disease phenotypes.With this dataset,we compare two approaches(guilt-by-association and correlation coefficient)that use a domain-domain interaction network and a phenotype similarity network to prioritize associations between candidate domains and human disease phenotypes.We implement these methods with three distance measures(direct neighbor,shortest path with Gaussian kernel,and diffusion kernel),demonstrate the effectiveness of these methods using three large-scale leave-one-out cross-validation experiments(random control,simulated linkage interval,and whole-genome scan),and evaluate the performance of these methods in terms of three criteria(mean rank ratio,precision,and AUC score).Results show that both methods can effectively prioritize domains that are associated with human diseases at the top of the candidate list,while the correlation coefficient approach can achieve slightly higher performance in most cases.Finally,taking the advantage that the correlation coefficient method does not require known disease-domain associations,we calculate a genome-wide landscape of associations between 4036 protein domains and 5080 human disease phenotypes using this method and offer a freely accessible web interface for this landscape.
基金Nanjing Science and Technology Plan Project(No.ZX20200009)Jiangsu Province Postgraduate Research and Practice Innovation Program(No.SJCX22-0895)。
文摘Objective:To construct a secretory eukaryotic expression vector of DSG2 fused with the Fc region of the human IgG,to validate its expression in 293T cells,and to purify the secretory protein with biological activity.Methods:The DSG2 extracellular domain fragment gene(DSG2ex),was amplified by PCR,and was inserted into the eukaryotic expression plasmid pCMV3-IgG1 to construct the recombinant eukaryotic expression plasmid-pCMV3-DSG2ex-IgG1.The successfully constructed eukaryotic expression plasmid was transfected into 293T cells to express and secrete DSG2 extracellular domain protein.The targeted protein was purified from the cell culture supernatant by Protein A affinity chromatography and confirmed by Western Blotting and ELISA.Results:The pCMV3-DSG2ex-IgG1 eukaryotic expression plasmid was successfully constructed.The highest protein expression level was obtained with 293T cells after 96 h of transfection.The relative molecular mass of the purified product was between 100 and 130 kDa was estimated by SDS-PAGE,which was consistent with the expectation.The yield of the purified protein reached 0.8 mg/ml with a purity over 90%.The purified DSG2 extracellular domain protein with IgG1 tag was recognized by IgG monoclonal antibodies by Western blotting.Moreover,the ELISA results showed that the prepared DSG2 extracellular domain protein had significant binding activity to human type 55 adenovirus Fiber Knob protein(HAdV-55).Conclusion:A simple and efficient method for eukaryotic expression and purification of human soluble DSG2 extracellular domain protein was successfully established,and biologically active DSG2 extracellular domain protein was purified,which laid the foundation for the later study of its protein function and anti-adenovirus drugs.
文摘In the present study, the interaction of human p100 protein with signal transducer and activator of transcription-6 (STAT-6) was investigated. It was proved that the staphylococcal nuclease (SN)-like and tudor (TD) domains containing in p100 protein acting as a adaptor to recruit STAT-6 to the basal transcription machinery, enhanced the STAT-6 mediated transcription activity. The interaction between STAT-6 and the p100 protein was mediated by the full-length of the SN-like domain, whereas individual fragments of SN-like domain showed no binding activity to STAT-6. In line with these results, the SN-like domain was directly engaged in the enhancement of STAT-6 mediated activation of gene transcription in vivo. Yet the TD domain had no ability to increase the transcription activation, but it was still required for the sufficient activation of transcription.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(81873063)High-level talents Research project of Hefei Normal University(2020rcjj30)+2 种基金Key Project of Provincial Scientific Research Platform of Hefei Normal University in 2020(2020PTZD14)Key Project of Universities Natural Science Foundation of Anhui province(KJ2021A0935,KJ2021A0932)Innovation Team and Talents Cultivation Program of National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine(ZYYCXTD-C-202009).
文摘Objective:This study aimed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of petal and stamen extracts of saffron crocus(Crocus sativus)and explore the underlying mechanism.Methods:Local and systemic inflammation models were used to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of C.sativus.A xyleneinduced inflammation model or lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced inflammation model was used in this study.C.sativus petal and stamen extracts were each administered to the mice in the xylene and LPS models by gavage for 14 d at 0.1 and 0.4 g/kg doses,respectively.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was used to measure the concentrations of tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-αand interleukin(IL)-1βin mouse serum.Hematoxylin and eosin(H&E)staining was used to observe the pathological changes in the ear in the xylene-induced inflammation model and in the spleen in the LPS-induced inflammation model.NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3(NLRP3)protein levels within the nuclear factor-kappa B(NF-κB)pathway were assessed using western blotting.RAW264.7 cells were treated with LPS(5μg/mL)and LPS+C.sativus(0.05,0.1,and 0.2 mg/mL)for 24 h,and a Cell Counting Kit-8 was used to measure cell proliferation.Changes in NLRP3 and NF-κB levels were evaluated by western blotting.Results:Petal and stamen extracts of C.sativus attenuated the anti-inflammatory effects in local or systemic inflammatory models and repaired pathological changes in the ear in the xylene-induced inflammation model and spleen in the LPS-induced inflammation model.These extracts also decreased the concentrations of TNF-αand IL-1βin the mouse serum in the LPS-induced inflammation model.C.sativus downregulated NLRP3 protein level through the NF-κB pathway and downregulated LC-3 and BECLIN1 in vivo and in vitro.Carbonyl Cyanide3-ChloroPhenylhydrazone(CCCP)weakened the effects of C.sativus on the NLRP3–NF-κB pathway.Conclusion:C.sativus has anti-inflammatory effects and regulates the NLRP3-NF-κB pathway.
基金supported by the Major Special Projects and Key R&D Projects in Yunnan Province,China(202102AE090054)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31925034)+1 种基金the Foundation of Hubei Hongshan Laboratory granted to Dr.Qiang Xu,China(2021hszd016)the Key Project of Hubei Provincial Natural Science Foundation,China(2021CFA017)。
文摘The flesh color of pummelo(Citrus maxima)fruits is highly diverse and largely depends on the level of carotenoids,which are beneficial to human health.It is vital to investigate the regulatory network of carotenoid biosynthesis to improve the carotenoid content in pummelo.However,the molecular mechanism underlying carotenoid accumulation in pummelo is not fully understood.In this study,we identified a novel histone methyltransferase gene,CgSDG40,involved in carotenoid regulation by analyzing the flesh transcriptome of typical white-fleshed pummelo,red-fleshed pummelo and extreme-colored F1 hybrids from a segregated pummelo population.Expression of CgSDG40 corresponded to flesh color change and was highly coexpressed with CgPSY1.Interestingly,CgSDG40 and CgPSY1 are located physically adjacent to each other on the chromosome in opposite directions,sharing a partially overlapping promoter region.Subcellular localization analysis indicated that CgSDG40 localizes to the nucleus.Overexpression of CgSDG40 significantly increased the total carotenoid content in citrus calli relative to that in wild type.In addition,expression of CgPSY1 was significantly activated in overexpression lines relative to wild type.Taken together,our findings reveal a novel histone methyltransferase regulator,CgSDG40,involved in the regulation of carotenoid biosynthesis in citrus and provide new strategies for molecular design breeding and genetic improvement of fruit color and nutritional quality.
文摘BACKGROUND Sotos syndrome is an autosomal dominant disorder,whereas attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder(ADHD)is a neurodevelopmental condition.This report aimed to summarize the clinical and genetic features of a pediatric case of Soros syndrome and ADHD in a child exhibiting precocious puberty.CASE SUMMARY The patient presented with accelerated growth and advanced skeletal maturation;however,she lacked any distinct facial characteristics related to specific genetic disorders.Genetic analyses revealed a paternally inherited heterozygous synonymous mutation[c.4605C>T(p.Arg1535Arg)].Functional analyses suggested that this mutation may disrupt splicing,and bioinformatics analyses predicted that this mutation was likely pathogenic.After an initial diagnosis of Sotos syndrome,the patient was diagnosed with ADHD during the follow-up period at the age of 8 years and 7 months.CONCLUSION The potential for comorbid ADHD in Sotos syndrome patients should be considered to avoid the risk of a missed diagnosis.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation,No.81974124and Taishan Scholar Project,No.tsqn20161071.
文摘BACKGROUND Adaptor protein,phosphotyrosine interacting with PH domain and leucine zipper 1(APPL1)plays a crucial role in regulating insulin signaling and glucose metabolism.Mutations in the APPL1 gene have been associated with the development of maturity-onset diabetes of the young type 14(MODY14).Currently,only two mutations[c.1655T>A(p.Leu552*)and c.281G>A p.(Asp94Asn)]have been identified in association with this disease.Given the limited understanding of MODY14,it is imperative to identify additional cases and carry out comprehensive research on MODY14 and APPL1 mutations.AIM To assess the pathogenicity of APPL1 gene mutations in diabetic patients and to characterize the functional role of the APPL1 domain.METHODS Patients exhibiting clinical signs and a medical history suggestive of MODY were screened for the study.Whole exome sequencing was performed on the patients as well as their family members.The pathogenicity of the identified APPL1 variants was predicted on the basis of bioinformatics analysis.In addition,the pathogenicity of the novel APPL1 variant was preliminarily evaluated through in vitro functional experiments.Finally,the impact of these variants on APPL1 protein expression and the insulin pathway were assessed,and the potential mechanism underlying the interaction between the APPL1 protein and the insulin receptor was further explored.RESULTS A total of five novel mutations were identified,including four missense mutations(Asp632Tyr,Arg633His,Arg532Gln,and Ile642Met)and one intronic mutation(1153-16A>T).Pathogenicity prediction analysis revealed that the Arg532Gln was pathogenic across all predictions.The Asp632Tyr and Arg633His variants also had pathogenicity based on MutationTaster.In addition,multiple alignment of amino acid sequences showed that the Arg532Gln,Asp632Tyr,and Arg633His variants were conserved across different species.Moreover,in in vitro functional experiments,both the c.1894G>T(at Asp632Tyr)and c.1595G>A(at Arg532Gln)mutations were found to downregulate the expression of APPL1 on both protein and mRNA levels,indicating their pathogenic nature.Therefore,based on the patient’s clinical and family history,combined with the results from bioinformatics analysis and functional experiment,the c.1894G>T(at Asp632Tyr)and c.1595G>A(at Arg532Gln)mutations were classified as pathogenic mutations.Importantly,all these mutations were located within the phosphotyrosinebinding domain of APPL1,which plays a critical role in the insulin sensitization effect.CONCLUSION This study provided new insights into the pathogenicity of APPL1 gene mutations in diabetes and revealed a potential target for the diagnosis and treatment of the disease.
基金supported by Important National Science & Technology Specific Projects (2012ZX10004403, 2012ZX10004219)National Natural Scientific Fund of China (81072675)
文摘Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus closely related to the human pathogens including yellow fever virus, dengue virus and West Nile virus. There are currently no effective antiviral therapies for all of the flavivirus and only a few highly effective vaccines are licensed for human use. In this paper, the E protein domain III (DIII) of six heterologous flaviviruses (DENV1-4, WNV and JEV) was expressed in Escherichia coli successfully. The proteins were purified after a solubilization and refolding procedure, characterized by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. Competitive inhibition showed that all recombinant flavivirus DIII proteins blocked the entry of JEV into BHK-21 cells. Further studies indicated that antibodies induced by the soluble recombinant flavivirus DIII partially protected mice against lethal JEV challenge. These results demonstrated that recombinant flavivirus DIII proteins could inhibit JEV infection competitively, and immunization with proper folding flavivirus DIII induced cross-protection against JEV infection in mice, implying a possible role of DIII for the cross-protection among flavivirus as well as its use in antigens for immunization in animal models.
基金supported by grants from Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province(No:2012FFB02304)Scientific Research Foundation of Ministry of Education(No:2013-1792),China
文摘Summary: The role of methyl-CpG binding domain protein 2 (MBD2) in an ApoE-deficient mouse model of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) was investigated. Eight-week-old Mbd2/ApoE double deficient (Mbd2^-/- ApoE^-/-) mice (n=12, 24 eyes, experimental group) and MBD2 (wt) ApoE^-/- mice (n=12, 24 eyes, control group) were fed on Western-type diet for 4 months. The mice were sacrificed, and total serum cholesterol levels were analyzed and Bruch's membrane (BM) of the eyes was removed for ultrastructural observation by transmission electron microscopy. Moreover, intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) immunoreactivities were evaluated by fluorescence microscopy in sections of the eyes in both groups for further understanding the function mechanism of MBD2. There was no significant difference in the total serum cholesterol levels between control group and experimental group (P〉0.05). Transmission electron microscopy revealed that AMD-like lesions, various vacuoles accumulated on BM, notable outer collagenous layer deposits and dilated basal infoldings of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) were seen in both groups, and the BM in control group was significantly thickened as compared with experimental group (P〈0.05). Fluorescence micrographs exhibited the expression of ICAM-1 in choroid was higher in control group than in experimental group. We are led to conclude that MBD2 gene knockout may lead to accumulation of more deposits on the BM and influence the pathogenesis of AMD via triggering endothelial activation and inflammatory response in choroid, improving microcirculation, and reducing lipid deposition so as to inhibit the development of AMD-like lesions. Our study helps to provide a new therapeutic approach for the clinical treatment of AMD.
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China,No. 81071998Hubei Natural Science Foundation,No.2008CDB159Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education,No. 20070487114
文摘AIM:To investigate the reciprocal modulation between microRNA(miRNA) and DNA methylation via exploring the correlation between miR-373 and methyl-CpGbinding domain protein(MBD)2.METHODS:MiR-373 expression was examined using the TaqMan miRNA assay.Methylation of miR-373 was investigated using methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction,and recruitment of methyl binding proteins was studied using the chromatin immunoprecipitation assay.Mutation analysis was conducted using the QuikChange Site-Directed Mutagenesis kit.The activity of miR-373 gene promoter constructs and targeting at MBD2-three prime untranslated region(3'UTR) by miR-373 were evaluated by a dual-luciferase reporter gene assay.RESULTS:In hilar cholangiocarcinoma,miR-373 decreased and was closely associated with poor cell differentiation,advanced clinical stage,and shorter survival.The promoter-associated CpG island of miR-373 gene was hypermethylated and inhibited expression of miR-373.MBD2 was up-regulated and enriched at the promoter-associated CpG island of miR-373.Methylation-mediated suppression of miR-373 required MBD2 enrichment at the promoter-associated CpG island,and miR-373 negatively regulated MBD2 expression through targeting the 3'UTR.CONCLUSION:MiR-373 behaves as a direct transcriptional target and negative regulator of MBD2 activity through a feedback loop of CpG island methylation.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 60433020, 60673099, 60673023)"985" project of Jilin University
文摘Detecting the boundaries of protein domains is an important and challenging task in both experimental and computational structural biology. In this paper, a promising method for detecting the domain structure of a protein from sequence information alone is presented. The method is based on analyzing multiple sequence alignments derived from a database search. Multiple measures are defined to quantify the domain information content of each position along the sequence. Then they are combined into a single predictor using support vector machine. What is more important, the domain detection is first taken as an imbal- anced data learning problem. A novel undersampling method is proposed on distance-based maximal entropy in the feature space of Support Vector Machine (SVM). The overall precision is about 80%. Simulation results demonstrate that the method can help not only in predicting the complete 3D structure of a protein but also in the machine learning system on general im- balanced datasets.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 70671089 and 30871521)the State Key Program of National Natural Science of China (Grant No. 10635040)
文摘In this paper, we attempt to understand complex network evolution from the underlying evolutionary relationship between biological organisms. Firstly, we construct a Pfam domain interaction network for each of the 470 completely sequenced organisms, and therefore each organism is correlated with a specific Pfam domain interaction network; secondly, we infer the evolutionary relationship of these organisms with the nearest neighbour joining method; thirdly, we use the evolutionary relationship between organisms constructed in the second step as the evolutionary course of the Pfam domain interaction network constructed in the first step. This analysis of the evolutionary course shows: (i) there is a conserved sub-network structure in network evolution; in this sub-network, nodes with lower degree prefer to maintain their connectivity invariant, and hubs tend to maintain their role as a hub is attached preferentially to new added nodes; (ii) few nodes are conserved as hubs; most of the other nodes are conserved as one with very low degree; (iii) in the course of network evolution, new nodes are added to the network either individually in most cases or as clusters with relative high clustering coefficients in a very few cases.
基金supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province,China,No.8151051501000004
文摘In this study, we employed chromatin immunoprecipitation, a useful method for studying the locations of transcription factors bound to specific DNA regions in specific cells, to investigate amyloid precursor protein intracellular domain binding sites in chromatin DNA from hippocampal neurons of rats, and to screen out five putative genes associated with the learning and memory functions. The promoter regions of the calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II alpha and glutamate receptor-2 genes were amplified by PCR from DNA products immunoprecipitated by amyloid precursor protein intracellular domain. An electrophoretic mobility shift assay and western blot analysis suggested that the promoter regions of these two genes associated with learning and memory were bound by amyloid precursor protein intracellular domain (in complex form). Our experimental findings indicate that the amyloid precursor protein intracellular domain is involved in the transcriptional regulation of learning- and memory-associated genes in hippocampal neurons. These data may provide new insights into the molecular mechanism underlying the symptoms of progressive memory loss in Alzheimer's disease.
文摘Human p100 protein consists of four repeated domains of staphylococcal nuclease (SN)-like domain, as well as a tudor (TD) domain thereafter. We have previously shown that the SN-like domain of p100 interacted with STAT6 and the large subunit of RNA pol Ⅱ , resulting in the enhancement of STAT6-mediated gene transcriptional activation. Here, we show that SN-like domain also interacted with CREB binding protein (CBP) and directly enhanced the acetyl transferase activity of CBP on histone. On the other hand, overexpression of CBP alone had no ability to significantly increase STAT6- dependent transcriptional activation, however, together with p100 protein, sufficiently enhanced the activation of transcription which was in line with the previous result that p100 protein bridged STAT6 with CBP.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.81770609,81970534,82100627)the University Synergy Innovation Program of Anhui Province,China(No.GXXT-2019-045)the Natural Science Foundation of Anhui Province,China(No.2108085QH311).
文摘N6-methyladenosine(m^(6)A)is a dynamic and reversible epigenetic regulation.As the most prevalent internal post-transcriptional modification in eukaryotic RNA,it participates in the regulation of gene expression through various mechanisms,such as mRNA splicing,nuclear export,localization,translation efficiency,mRNA stability,and structural transformation.The involvement of m^(6)A in the regulation of gene expression depends on the specific recognition of m^(6)A-modified RNA by reader proteins.In the pathogenesis and treatment of liver disease,studies have found that the expression levels of key genes that promote or inhibit the development of liver disease are regulated by m^(6)A modification,in which abnormal expression of reader proteins determines the fate of these gene transcripts.In this review,we introduce m^(6)A readers,summarize the recognition and regulatory mechanisms of m^(6)A readers on mRNA,and focus on the biological functions and mechanisms of m^(6)A readers in liver cancer,viral hepatitis,non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD),hepatic fibrosis(HF),acute liver injury(ALI),and other liver diseases.This information is expected to be of high value to researchers deciphering the links between m^(6)A readers and human liver diseases.
基金supported by grants from the National Science Foundation of China(Nos.30973205 and 81172464)the National "Twelfth-Five Year" Research and Development Program of China(No.2014BAI05B05)
文摘The relationship between T cell immunoglobulin domain and mucin domain protein 3(Tim-3)/Galectin(Gal)-9 pathway and recurrent spontaneous abortion(RSA) was studied. Thirty-one pregnant women with RSA and 27 normal early gravidas were investigated to detect the levels of Tim-3 and Gal-9 in villi and deciduas by Western blotting. Meanwhile, the concentration of interleukin(IL)-4 and IL-12 in peripheral blood plasma was determined by ELISA in 25 healthy fertile non-pregnant controls, the normal early gravidas and pregnant women with RSA mentioned above, respectively. It was found that the relative expression levels of Tim-3 and Gal-9 in villi and deciduas were significantly increased in pregnant women with RSA as compared with those in the normal early gravidas. The concentration of IL-4 in peripheral blood plasma of pregnant women with RSA was lower than that of the normal early gravidas(P〈0.05) and healthy fertile non-pregnant controls(P〈0.05), but that of IL-2 in pregnant women with RSA was significantly higher than that of the normal early gravidas(P〈0.05) and healthy fertile non-pregnant controls(P〈0.05). It was suggested that the overexpression of Tim-3/Gal-9 pathway may be related to the pathogenesis of RSA.
基金the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars of China,No.81625016the National Science Foundation of China,No.81502031 and No.81772555+1 种基金Shanghai Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning Grant,No.20154Y0090Youth Research Foundation of Shanghai Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning,No.Z0124Y074
文摘AIM TO uncover the roles of tumor-promoting gene ZEB1 in aerobic glycolysis regulation and shed light on the underlying molecular mechanism.METHODS Endogenous zinc finger E-box binding homeobox-1 (ZEB1) was silenced using a and the impact of ZEB1 and lentivirus-mediated method, methyI-CpG binding domain protein 1 (MBD1) on aerobic glycolysis was measured using seahorse cellular flux analyzers, reactive oxygen species quantification, and mitochondrial membrane potential measurement. The interaction between ZEB1 and MBD1 was assessed by co-immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence assays. The impact of ZEB1 and MBD1 interaction on sirtuin 3 (SIRT3) expression was confirmed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, and dual-luciferase and chromatinimmunoprecipitation assays.RESULTS ZEB1 was a positive regulator of aerobic glycolysis in pancreatic cancer. ZEB1 transcriptionally silenced expression of SIRT3, a mitochondrial-localized tumor suppressor, through interaction with MBD1.CONCLUSION ZEB1 silenced SIRT3 expression via interaction with MBD1 to promote aerobic glycolysis in pancreatic cancer.
基金the National Natural Sciences Foundation of China (No. 30672008)
文摘To investigate the distribution characteristics and linkage disequilibrium of T cell immunoglobulin domain and mucin domain protein 4 (TIM4) promoter polymorphisms in asthma patients of Chinese Han population, the promoter region of TIM4 was re-sequenced by PCR-sequencing, and linkage disequilibrium was analyzed by SHEsis software. Four single nucleotide polymor- phisms (SNPs) in the promoter region of TIM4 were detected, including two new SNPs (at positions -1609, -153) and two reported SNPs (rs6874202, rs6882076). The frequency distribution of rs6882076 was different among different races (P〈0.05). In addition, linkage disequilibrium among the SNPs of the promoter region of TIM4 was found and GGTG was the predominant haplotype. There were four SNPs in the promoter region of TIM4 in asthma patients of Chinese Han population, which were in linkage disequilibrium.
文摘BACKGROUND Cladosporium and Corynespora cassiicola(C.cassiicola)infections rarely occur in humans.Mutations in human caspase recruitment domain protein 9(CARD9)are reported to be associated with fungal diseases.Pulmonary Cladosporium infection coexisting with subcutaneous C.cassiicola infection in a patient with a CARD9 mutation has not been reported in the literature.CASE SUMMARY A 68-year-old male patient was hospitalized for hypertrophic erythema and deep ulcers on the left upper extremity.He was diagnosed with pneumonia caused by Cladosporium,as identified through bronchoalveolar lavage fluid analysis,and deep dermatophytosis caused by C.cassiicola,as identified through morphological characteristics of the wound secretion culture.He underwent antifungal therapy(voriconazole)and recovered successfully.He carried two mutations in CARD9(chr9:139266425 and chr9:139262240)and was therefore susceptible to fungal infections.CONCLUSION This case study is the first to report the coexistence of pulmonary Cladosporium infection and subcutaneous C.cassiicola infection in a patient with CARD9 mutation.Our findings will be helpful in enriching the phenotypic spectrum of fungal infections underlying CARD9 deficiency.