Improved synaptic and cognitive function in aged 3 × Tg-AD mice with reduced amyloid-ß after immunotherapy with a novel recombinant 6Aß15-TF chimeric vaccine.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common progressive neurodegenerative disorder impairing memory and cognition. In this study, we describe the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of the novel recombinant 6Aß15-TF chimeric antigen as a subunit protein vaccine for AD. Recombinant 6Aß15-TF chimeric vaccine induced strong Aß-specific humoral immune responses without Aß-specific T cell immunity in C57/BL6 and 3 × Tg-AD mice at different ages. As an early immunotherapy model for AD, this vaccine induced high titers of long-lasting anti-Aß42 antibodies in aged 3 × Tg-AD mice, which led to improve behavioral performance and markedly reduced the levels of insoluble and soluble Aß and Aß oligomers. In agreement with these findings, immunotherapy with 6Aß15-TF prevented the Aß-induced decrease of presynaptic and postsynaptic proteins in aged 3 × Tg-AD mice. Our results suggest that this novel and highly immunogenic recombinant 6Aß15-TF chimeric vaccine provides neuroprotection in AD mice and can be considered an effective AD candidate vaccine.

The highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza A virus down-regulated several cellular MicroRNAs which target viral genome.

Higher and prolonged viral replication is critical for the increased pathogenesis of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) subtype of H5N1 influenza A virus (IAV) over the lowly pathogenic H1N1 IAV strain. Recent studies highlighted the considerable roles of cellular miRNAs in host defence against viral infection. In this report, using a 3'UTR reporter system, we identified several putative miRNA target sites buried in the H5N1 virus genome. We found two miRNAs, miR-584-5p and miR-1249, that matched with the PB2 binding sequence. Moreover, we showed that these miRNAs dramatically down-regulated PB2 expression, and inhibited replication of H5N1 and H1N1 IAVs in A549 cells. Intriguingly, these miRNAs expression was differently regulated in A549 cells infected with the H5N1 and H1N1 viruses. Furthermore, transfection of miR-1249 inhibitor enhanced the PB2 expression and promoted the replication of H5N1 and H1N1 IAVs. These results suggest that H5N1 virus may have evolved a mechanism to escape host-mediated inhibition of viral replication through down-regulation of cellular miRNAs, which target its viral genome.

Hepatitis B virus X protein regulates the mEZH2 promoter via the E2F1-binding site in AML12 cells.

Histone lysine methyltransferase EZH2 has been reported to be frequently overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues and associated with hepatocarcinogenesis. However, the exact mechanism of EZH2 up-regulation in HCC has not been determined. In this study, we used murine hepatocyte AML12 cells to investigate the role of hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx) in regulating the expression of mEZH2. Western blot analysis demonstrated that the expression level of mEZH2 protein in AML12 cells was up-regulated by HBx in a dose-dependent manner. To further investigate the mechanism of mEZH2 overexpression, the 2500 bp regulatory sequence upstream from the first exon of the mEZH2 gene was amplified from AML12 genomic DNA and constructed into a luciferase reporter plasmid. The luciferase activity of the mEZH2 promoter significantly increased in AML12 cells co-transfected with HBx plasmid, and deleting the -486/-214 promoter region decreased HBx-induced mEZH2 promoter activation by nearly 50%. The -486/-214 region was then analyzed in the TRANSFAC 6.0 database and a typical E2F1-binding site was found. Mutation of this E2F1-binding site or knockdown of E2F1 expression by RNAi led to a dramatic decrease in HBx-induced activation of the mEZH2 promoter and mEZH2 overexpression in AML12 cells. These results provide evidence that HBx up-regulates mEZH2 expression by transactivating the mEZH2 promoter through E2F1 transcription factor, thereby providing new epigenetic evidence for the carcinogenic effect of HBx.

Development and evaluation of candidate vaccine and antitoxin against botulinum neurotoxin serotype F.

To produce a vaccine suitable for human use, a recombinant non His-tagged isoform of the Hc domain of botulinum neurotoxin serotype F (rFHc) was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified by sequential chromatography. The rFHc was evaluated as a subunit vaccine candidate in mouse model of botulism. A dose-response was observed in both antibody titer and protective efficacy with increasing dosage of rFHc and number of vaccinations. These findings suggest that the rFHc is an effective botulism vaccine candidate. Further, we developed a new antitoxin against botulinum neurotoxin serotype F (BoNT/F) by purifying F(ab')(2) fragments from pepsin digested serum IgGs of horses inoculated with rFHc. The protective effect of the F(ab')(2) antitoxin against BoNT/F was determined both in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that the F(ab')(2) antitoxin could prevent botulism in mice challenged with BoNT/F and effectively delayed progression of paralysis from botulism in the therapeutic setting. Thus, our results provide valuable experimental data for this new antitoxin as a potential candidate for treatment of botulism caused by BoNT/F.

PC-1/PrLZ contributes to malignant progression in prostate cancer.

PC-1/PrLZ gene overexpression has been identified to be associated with prostate cancer progression. Previous studies have revealed that PC-1 possesses transforming activity and confers malignant phenotypes to mouse NIH3T3 cells. However, the functional relevance of PC-1 expression changes during prostate cancer development and progression remains to be evaluated. In this study, gain-of-function and loss-of-function analyses in LNCaP and C4-2 cells, respectively, were implemented. Experimental data showed that PC-1 expression was in positive correlation with prostate cancer cell growth and anchor-independent colony formation in vitro, as well as tumorigenicity in athymic BALB/c mice. Moreover, PC-1 expression was also found to promote androgen-independent progression and androgen antagonist Casodex resistance in prostate cancer cells. These results indicate that PC-1 contributes to androgen-independent progression and malignant phenotypes in prostate cancer cells. Furthermore, molecular evidence revealed that PC-1 expression stimulated Akt/protein kinase B signaling pathway, which has been implicated to play important roles in promoting androgen refractory progression in prostate cancer. Increased PC-1 levels in C4-2 cells may represent an adaptive response in prostate cancer, mediating androgen-independent growth and malignant progression. Inhibiting PC-1 expression may represent a novel therapeutic strategy to delay prostate cancer progression.

Effect of O-superfamily conotoxin SO3 on synchronized spontaneous calcium spikes in cultured hippocampal networks.

SO3 belongs to the O-superfamily of conotoxins and is known to have analgesic effects in experimental animals. In order to explore the mechanism of its potential pharmacological actions, the effect of SO3 on synchronized spontaneous calcium spikes was examined in cultured hippocampal networks by calcium imaging. Spontaneous oscillations of intracellular concentrations of calcium (Ca(2+)) in the form of waves and spikes are found in cultured hippocampal networks. Exposure to increasing concentrations of SO3 resulted in a progressive decrease in synchronized spontaneous calcium spikes. The higher concentrations (0.1 micromol/L and 1 micromol/L) of SO3 showed the strongest inhibition. The rank order of inhibition was 1 micromol/L > 0.1 micromol/L > 10 micromol/L > 0.01 micromol/L. This action of SO3 in reducing synchronized calcium spikes suggests a possible application for therapeutic treatment of epilepsy.

Dynamic proteome changes of Shigella flexneri 2a during transition from exponential growth to stationary phase.

Shigella flexneri is an infectious pathogen that causes dysentery to human, which remains a serious threat to public health, particularly in developing countries. In this study, the global protein expression patterns of S. flexneri during transition from exponential growth to stationary phase in vitro were analyzed by using 2-D PAGE combined with MALDI-TOF MS. In a time-course experiment with five time points, the relative abundance of 49 protein spots varied significantly. Interestingly, a putative outer membrane protein YciD (OmpW) was almost not detected in the exponential growth phase but became one of the most abundant proteins in the whole stationary-phase proteome. Some proteins regulated by the global regulator FNR were also significantly induced (such as AnsB, AspA, FrdAB, and KatG) or repressed (such as AceEF, OmpX, SodA, and SucAB) during the growth phase transition. These proteins may be the key effectors of the bacterial cell cycle or play important roles in the cellular maintenance and stress responses. Our expression profile data provide valuable information for the study of bacterial physiology and form the basis for future proteomic analyses of this pathogen.

[Establishment of osteoblast-specific Cre transgenic mice].

An osteoblast-specific Cre transgenic construct (pOC-Cre) containing the osteocalcin promoter, Cre recombinase gene and polyA of human growth hormone gene was generated. The 4.6 kb DNA fragment of OC-Cre was introduced into fertilized zygotes by microinjection. 2 out of 16 offspring were identified as founders carrying the transgene by PCR and Southern blot analysis, and the integration efficiency is 12.5 %. To check the tissue distribution of the OC-Cre, the OC-Cre transgenic founder mice were bred with the mice carrying Smad4 conditional alleles. PCR results showed that the genomic DNA fragments after Cre mediated recombination could be only amplified from bone tissues of the transgenic mice. LacZ staining of OC-Cre; ROSA26 double transgenic mice revealed that Cre recombinase expressed in osteoblasts and mediated DNA recombination between LoxP sites at the ROSA26 locus. All these data indicated that the Cre recombinase was ex-pressed in the osteoblasts of the OC-Cre transgenic mice and could mediate DNA recombination between LoxP sites. The OC-Cre transgenic mice we generated in this study could serve as a useful tool for generating osteoblast specific gene-knockout mice.

Enhanced effects of DNA vaccine against botulinum neurotoxin serotype A by targeting antigen to dendritic cells.

As dendritic cells (DCs) play a critical role in priming antigen-specific immune responses, the efficacy of DNA vaccines may be enhanced by targeting the encoded antigen proteins to DCs. In this study, we constructed a DC-targeted DNA vaccine encoding the Hc domain of botulinum neurotoxin serotype A (AHc) fused with scDEC, a single-chain Fv antibody (scFv) specific for the DC-restricted antigen-uptake receptor DEC205. Intramuscular injections of mice with the DC-targeted DNA vaccine (pVAX1-scDEC-AHc) stimulated more DCs to mature than the non-targeted DNA vaccine (pVAX1-SAHc) in the splenocytes. The DC-targeted DNA vaccine could induce more DCs maturation at the site of inoculation. The DC-targeted DNA vaccine induced stronger AHc-specific humoral immune responses, lymphocyte proliferative responses and protective potency against BoNT/A in mice than did pVAX1-SAHc. Moreover, the DC-targeting DNA vaccine provided effective protection after only two inoculations. In summary, these results showed that the DC-targeted fusion DNA vaccine could generate strong immunity, indicating that maturation of DCs induced by pVAX1-scDEC-AHc may be helpful for priming and boosting immune responses. Thus, we propose that the strategy of targeting antigen to DCs in vivo via DEC205 can enhance effectively the potency of DNA vaccines against BoNTs or other pathogens in an animal model.

Cancer immunotherapy targeting the telomerase reverse transcriptase.

The human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) is expressed in more than 85% of tumor cells but is usually not found in normal cells, which makes hTERT as an ideal tumor-associate antigen (TAA) to develop potential vaccine specifically destroying cancers without impairing normal tissues in human cancer immunotherapy. Here are reviewed the fundamental advances of studies on immunogenicity of hTERT or its peptides and the early clinical trials using the hTERT vaccine approach in the last decades.

Generation of mouse FANCL antibody and analysis of FANCL protein expression profile in mouse tissues.

Fanconi anemia complementation group L (FANCL) is a novel Fanconi anemia protein, which mono-ubiquitinates FANCD2 as a ubiquitin E3 ligase, and plays a crucial role in DNA damage repair and chromosome stability maintenance. FANCL is involved in the proliferation of primordial germ cells (PGC) in early embryonic stages, and may play a role in the development of germ cells by forming a novel testis-specific network with testis-specific proteins in the adult testis. FancL cDNA sequence was cloned by RT-PCR from mouse testis total RNA, and expressed in E. coli BL21(DE3). Rabbit FANCL polyclonal antiserum was generated using the recombinant protein as the antigen. To prepare an antigen column for affinity purification of FANCL-specific antibody, recombinant His-tagged FANCL was purified by Ni(2+)-charged HiTrap Chelating HP column and coupled to an NHS-activated HiTrap column. To confirm the activity and specificity of the FANCL antibody, we constructed plasmid pCMV-HA/FANCL to transfect HEK 293T cells. Transiently expressed HA-FANCL fusion protein was analyzed by immunoblotting with both the FANCL antibody and HA monoclonal antibody. The antibody was used in Western blotting to check the expression of FANCL protein in mouse tissues. We found wide expression of FANCL in brain, muscle, heart, lung, liver, spleen, kidney, testis, ovary and uterus, indicating the functional importance of this novel protein.

A Novel Aß B-Cell Epitope Vaccine (rCV01) for Alzheimer's Disease Improved Synaptic and Cognitive Functions in 3 × Tg-AD Mice.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a progressive amyloid-ß accumulation, loss of cognitive abilities, and synaptic alterations. Given the remarkable recovery of cognition in AD models of targeting-Aß immunotherapy, we sought to determine the molecular correlate(s) associated with improvement. We evaluated the efficacy of a recombinant chimeric 6Aß15-T antigen formulated with alum adjuvant as a novel Aß B-cell epitope vaccine (rCV01) in 3 × Tg-AD mice. rCV01 elicited robust Th2-polarized Aß-specific antibodies without autoimmune T cell responses in 3 × Tg-AD mice. The long-lasting anti-Aß42 antibodies were associated with markedly reduced AD-like pathology, enhanced synaptic function, and improved cognitive performance in aged 3 × Tg-AD mice. This is the first report to provide one hypothesis for the improved outcomes following vaccination is a reduction in the levels of active calpain in rCV01-immunized AD mice, which is likely attributable to preventing dynamin 1 and PSD-95 degradation allowing functional recovery of cognition. rCV01 is a highly immunogenic recombinant chimeric 6Aß15-T vaccine that shows clear neuroprotective properties in preclinical mouse models of AD and is a candidate for an effective AD vaccine.

A novel recombinant 6Aß15-THc-C chimeric vaccine (rCV02) mitigates Alzheimer's disease-like pathology, cognitive decline and synaptic loss in aged 3 × Tg-AD mice.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that impairs memory and cognition. Targeting amyloid-ß (Aß) may be currently the most promising immunotherapeutic strategy for AD. In this study, a recombinant chimeric 6Aß15-THc-C immunogen was formulated with alum adjuvant as a novel Aß B-cell epitope candidate vaccine (rCV02) for AD. We examined its efficacy in preventing the cognitive deficit and synaptic impairment in 3 × Tg-AD mice. Using a toxin-derived carrier protein, the rCV02 vaccine elicited robust Aß-specific antibodies that markedly reduced AD-like pathology and improved behavioral performance in 3 × Tg-AD mice. Along with the behavioral improvement in aged 3 × Tg-AD mice, rCV02 significantly decreased calpain activation concurrent with reduced soluble Aß or oligomeric forms of Aß, probably by preventing dynamin 1 and PSD-95 degradation. Our data support the hypothesis that reducing Aß levels in rCV02-immunized AD mice increases the levels of presynaptic dynamin 1 and postsynaptic PSD-95 allowing functional recovery of cognition. In conclusion, this novel and highly immunogenic rCV02 shows promise as a new candidate prophylactic vaccine for AD and may be useful for generating rapid and strong Aß-specific antibodies in AD patients with pre-existing memory Th cells generated after immunization with conventional tetanus toxoid vaccine.

Immunoproteomics of membrane proteins of Shigella flexneri 2a 2457T.

AIM: To screen the immunogenic membrane proteins of Shigella flexneri 2a 2457T. METHODS: The routine two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and Western blotting were combined to screen immunogenic proteins of S. flexneri 2a 2457T. Serum was gained from rabbits immunized with the same bacteria. Immunogenic spots were cut out from the polyacrylamide gel and digested by trypsin in-gel. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight-mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) was performed to determine the molecular weight of peptides. Electrospray ionization (ESI-MS/MS) was performed to determine the sequences of the interesting peptides. RESULTS: A total of 20 spots were successfully identified from Coomassie brilliant blue stained gels representing 13 protein entries, 5 known antigens and 8 novel antigens. A hypothetical protein (YaeT) was detected, which might be a candidate target of vaccine. CONCLUSION: Membrane proteins of S. flexneri 2a 2457T were successfully observed by 2-DE. Several known and novel antigens were identified by mass spectrum.

Genetic variations in the pgm locus among natural isolates of Yersinia pestis.

A PCR-based screening method was used to study the genetic variations of the pgm locus among natural isolates of Yersinia pestis from China. Our results indicate that genetic variations in the pgm locus are well correlated with biovars of Y. pestis and plague foci, suggesting that the pgm locus plays a role in Y. pestis adaptation to its environment. The gene encoding two-component regulatory system sensor kinase became a pseudogene in all strains of biovar Orientalis due to a thymidine deletion, while it is intact in all the strains of the other biovars. Only strains from Foci H and L are the same as Yersinia pseudotuberculosis in that they have an intact transmembrane helix in the sensor kinase protein, which is lost in all the other strains because of the 18 bp in-frame deletion. The IS100 element that flanks the 39 terminus of the pgm locus was inserted into the chromosome during the within-species microevolution of Y. pestis, which is absent in strains from Foci G, H and L and also in Y. pseudotuberculosis. This fact indicates that the strains from these three foci are of an older lineage of Chinese Y. pestis. It is this IS100 element's absence that maintained high stability of the pgm locus in the Y. pestis strains from these three foci. The IS285 element insertion in the pigmentation segment and the IS100 element insertion in the downstream flanking region of the pgm locus are only present in strains from Foci H and L. The flanking region outside the 59 terminus of the upstream IS100 element is identical in the strains from these two foci, which is different in the other strains. All of these unique characteristics suggest that they are of a special lineage of Chinese Y. pestis.

[Functions of FANCL in primordial germ cell formation and Fanconi anemia].

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized clinically by congenital abnormalities, progressive bone marrow failure and cancer susceptibility. Cells from individuals with Fanconi anemia manifest features of spontaneous chromosomal instability and hypersensitivity to DNA cross-linking agents such as mitomycin C. Over 11 known Fanconi anemia gene products are involved in DNA damage response pathway. In the pathway, monoubiquitination of FANCD2 is a key step. A novel protein FANCL is a component of the nuclear FA complex, functioned as an ubiquitin E3 ligase and monoubiquitinylated FANCD2. FANCD2-Ub is targeted to chromatin, where it interacts with BRCA2 to repair DNA damage. In early embryo stage, FA pathway is probably involved in proliferation of PGCs. Mice deficient in FA proteins, such as FANCL, FANCC and FANCA, have a drastic reduction of primordial germ cells (PGC), resulting in male and female infertility in adult. In the adult male, FANCL and a few testis-specific proteins, GGN1 (gametogenetin protein 1), GGNBP1 (gametogenetin binding protein 1), GGNBP2 and OAZ3 (ornithine decarboxylase antizyme 3) form a novel testis-specific complex functioning in spermatogenesis. FANCL is involved in proliferation of PGCs in early embryo stage, and development of germ cells in adult.

[Involvement of N-type calcium channels in pain and antinociception].

N-type voltage-dependent calcium channels are critical for pain transduction and modulation. These channels are highly present at the presynaptic terminals of nociceptive neurons in dorsal horn of the spinal cord where they regulate the release of the key pro-nociceptive neurotransmitters such as glutamate and substance P. Consistent with this, the selective blockers of the N-type channels are powerful analgesics, and, mice lacking the N-type Ca(v)2. 2 subunit have higher pain thresholds compared to wild-type. The N-type channels are also present at synapses in the autonomic system and the central nervous system, the inhibition of these synapses is the main reason of the side effects in analgesic therapy with current N-type channel blockers. Recently, a unique splice isoform of the N-type channels was found exclusively expressed at the nociceptive neurons in dorsal root ganglia, which may represent a novel target for pain management.

Effect of new O-superfamily conotoxin SO3 on sodium and potassium currents of cultured hippocampal neurons.

The effects of a new O-superfamily conotoxin SO3 on sodium and potassium currents were examined in cultured rat hippocampal neurons using the whole-cell patch clamp technique. SO3 caused a concentration-dependent, rapidly developing and reversible inhibition of sodium currents (I(Na)). The IC(50) value for the blockage of I(Na) was calculated to be 0.49 and the Hill coefficient was 1.7. Using electrophysiological and pharmacological protocols, transient A-type potassium currents (I(A)) and delayed rectifiers potassium currents (I(K)) were isolated. SO3 caused a concentration-dependent, and reversible inhibition of I(K). The IC(50) value for the blockage of I(K) was calculated to be 1.6 and the Hill coefficient was 0.6, with no significant effect on I(A). These results indicate that SO3 can selectively inhibit neuronal sodium and potassium currents.

Identification of alkA gene related to virulence of Shigella flexneri 2a by mutational analysis.

AIM: In vivo induced genes are thought to play an important role during infection of host. AlkA was identified as an in vivo-induced gene by in vivo expression technology (IVET), but its virulence in Shigella flexneri was not reported. The purpose of this study was to identify the role of alkA gene in the pathogenesis of S. flexneri. METHODS: PCR was used to amplify alkA gene of S. flexneri 2a and fragment 028pKm. The fragment was then transformed into 2457T05 strain, a S flexneri 2a strain containing Red recombination system, which was constructed with a recombinant suicide plasmid pXLkd46. By in vivo homologous recombination, alkA mutants were obtained and verified by PCR and sequencing. Intracellular survival assay and virulence assay were used to test the intracellular survival ability in HeLa cell model and the virulence in mice lung infection model respectively. RESULTS: Deletion mutant of S. flexneri 2a alkA was successfully constructed by gamma Red recombination system. The mutant exhibited significant survival defects and much significant virulence defects in mice infection assay. CONCLUSION: AlkA gene plays an important role in the infection of epithelial cells and is a virulent gene of Shigella spp.

Temperature shift as a process optimization step for the production of pro-urokinase by a recombinant Chinese hamster ovary cell line in high-density perfusion culture.

Based on the effects of temperature shift on the cell cycle, apoptosis and metabolism of a recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (rCHO) cell line (CL-11G) producing pro-urokinase (pro-UK) in batch cultures, the potential of temperature shift as a tool in the optimization of the perfusion culture of CL-11G cells for the production of pro-UK was examined. The proportion of CL-11G cells in the G0/G1 phase in static cultures increased from 56.4% to 82.8% following a temperature shift from 37 degrees C to 31 degrees C. Conversely, the proportion of CL-11G cells in the S phase decreased from 34.8% to 11.6%. The specific growth rate of CL-11G cells reflected the effect of temperature on the cell cycle and decreased from 0.024 h(-1) at 37 degrees C to 0.006 h(-1) at 31 degrees C. Continuous exposure to the non-permissive temperature of 31 degrees C led to a marginal increase in apoptosis. The specific pro-UK productivity of CL-11G cells increased by 74% at 34 degrees C compared with controls at 37 degrees C in batch cultures. CL-11G cells immobilized with Cytopore 1 in a 5-l bioreactor initiated at 37 degrees C and temperature shifted to 34 degrees C exhibited an average 17% increase in viable cell density and an average 47% increase in pro-UK production. These results demonstrated that temperature shift offers the prospect of enhancing the productivity of pro-UK in high-density perfusion culture.