Value of DUSP6 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in predicting adverse cardiovascular events after peritoneal dialysis in diabetic nephropathy. / å¤–å‘¨è¡€å•ä¸ªæ ¸ç»†èƒžä¸­DUSP6é¢„è­¦ç³–å°¿ç— è‚¾ç— è ¹è†œé€æžåŽä¸è‰¯å¿ƒè¡€ç®¡äº‹ä»¶çš„ä»·å€¼.

OBJECTIVES: Adverse cardiovascular events are the leading cause of death in peritoneal dialysis patients. Identifying indicators that can predict adverse cardiovascular events in these patients is crucial for prognosis. This study aims to assess the value of dual-specificity phosphatase 6 (DUSP6) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells as a predictor of adverse cardiovascular events after peritoneal dialysis in diabetic nephropathy patients. METHODS: A total of 124 diabetic nephropathy patients underwent peritoneal dialysis treatment at the Department of Nephrology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University from June to September 2022 were selected as study subjects. The levels of DUSP6 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells were determined using Western blotting. Patients were categorized into high-level and low-level DUSP6 groups based on the median DUSP6 level. Differences in body mass index, serum albumin, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and dialysis duration were compared between the 2 groups. Pearson, Spearman, and multiple linear regression analyses were performed to examine factors related to DUSP6. Patients were followed up to monitor the occurrence of adverse cardiovascular events, and risk factors for adverse cardiovascular events after peritoneal dialysis were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression. RESULTS: By the end of the follow-up, 33 (26.61%) patients had experienced at least one adverse cardiovascular event. The high-level DUSP6 group had higher body mass index, longer dialysis duration, and higher high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, but lower serum albumin levels compared to the low-level DUSP6 group (all P<0.05). DUSP6 was negatively correlated with serum albumin levels (r=-0.271, P=0.002) and positively correlated with dialysis duration (rs=0.406, P<0.001) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (rs=0.367, P<0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that dialysis duration and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein were independently correlated with DUSP6 levels (both P<0.05). The cumulative incidence of adverse cardiovascular events was higher in the high-level DUSP6 group than in the low-level DUSP6 group (46.67% vs 7.81%, P<0.001). Cox regression analysis indicated that low serum albumin levels (HR=0.836, 95% CI 0.778 to 0.899), high high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (HR=1.409, 95% CI 1.208 to 1.644), and high DUSP6 (HR=6.631, 95% CI 2.352 to 18.693) were independent risk factors for adverse cardiovascular events in peritoneal dialysis patients. CONCLUSIONS: Dialysis duration and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein are independently associated with DUSP6 levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of diabetic nephropathy patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis. High DUSP6 levels indicate a higher risk of adverse cardiovascular events.

Chitosan oligosaccharide accelerates the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes through promoting conjugative plasmid transfer.

The dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), especially via plasmid-mediated horizontal gene transfer, poses a pervasive threat to global health. Chitosan-oligosaccharide (COS) is extensively utilized in medicine, plant and animal husbandry. However, their impact on microflora implies the potential to exert selective pressure on plasmid transfer. To explore the role of COS in facilitating the dissemination of ARGs via plasmid conjugation, we established in vitro mating models. The addition of COS to conjugation mixtures significantly enhanced the transfer of RP4 plasmid and mcr-1 positive IncX4 plasmid in both intra- and inter-specific. Phenotypic and transcriptome analysis revealed that COS enhanced intercellular contact by neutralizing cell surface charge and increasing cell surface hydrophobicity. Additionally, COS increased membrane permeability by inhibiting the Tol-Pal system, thereby facilitating plasmid conjugative transfer. Furthermore, COS served as the carbon source and was metabolized by E. coli, providing energy for plasmid conjugation through regulating the expression of ATPase and global repressor factor-related genes in RP4 plasmid. Overall, these findings improve our awareness of the potential risks associated with the presence of COS and the spread of bacterial antibiotic resistance, emphasizing the need to establish guidelines for the prudent use of COS and its discharge into the environment.

Toxic effects of copper on duck cerebrum: a crucial role of oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum quality control.

To study the effects of Cu overload on ER quality control in duck cerebrums, 144 ducks were treated with 8 mg/kg, 100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg Cu added in the feed for 45 days. From histopathological examination, we found that excessive Cu increased the amount of microglia and disintegrated neuron, decreased the number of Nissl bodies, perturbed nerve fibers in duck cerebrums. Cu poisoning also increased Cu, H2O2, T-SOD, and MDA levels, decreased Fe and CAT contents in duck cerebrums. Furthermore, Cu treatment upregulated the mRNA levels of the unfolded protein response genes (PERK, ATF6, and IRE1), ER-associated degradation genes (CNX, Derlin1, and Derlin2), autophagy genes (ATG5, ATG7, ATG10, Beclin1, LC3A, LC3B, and P62), and heat shock response genes (Hsp70 and Hsp90) in duck cerebrums; elevated the protein levels of p-PERK, CNX, SEL1L, Beclin1, P62, and LC3BII/LC3BI in duck cerebrums; increased the numbers of SEL1L and LC3B puncta in duck cerebrums. Thus, our data showed that excessive Cu could cause histopathological damage to duck cerebrums, disrupt the balance of the trace elements, induce oxidative stress and activation of ER quality control, thereby resulting in duck cerebrums damage.

Exposure to salinomycin dysregulates interplay between mitophagy and oxidative response to damage the porcine jejunal cells.

Salinomycin (SAL) has caused widespread pollution as a feed additive and growth promoter in livestock such as pigs, exerting a negative impact on public health. The toxicity mechanism of SAL has been widely studied in chickens, but the underlying mechanisms of SAL-induced toxicity to pigs and the ecosystem remain undefined. In this study, we explored the potential damage of SAL in IPEC-J2 cells to identify the effects of excessive SAL on the interplay between mitophagy and oxidative stress. The results showed that a concentration-dependent response was observed for SAL in altering cellular morphology and inducing cell death in IPEC-J2 cells, including the induction of cell cycle arrest and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) release. Meanwhile, we found that excessive SAL led to oxidative damage by activating the Nrf2/Keap1/HO-1 pathway, accompanied by reactive oxygen species (ROS) elevation and the reduction of antioxidant enzyme activity. We also found that PINK1/Parkin-dependent mitophagy was activated by SAL exposure, particularly with mitochondrial membrane potential reduction. Interestingly, SAL-induced oxidative damages were prevented after the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA) treatment, and mitophagy was alleviated following ROS scavenger (N-acetylcysteine, NAC) treatment. Overall, our findings showed that SAL stimulated oxidative stress and mitophagy in IPEC-J2 cells resulting in cellular injury, and there was a strong connection between SAL-induced oxidative stress and mitophagy. Targeting ROS/PINK1/Parkin-dependent mitophagy and oxidative stress could be a novel protective mechanism in SAL-induced cell damage.

Metabolomics reveals the response of hydroprimed maize to mitigate the impact of soil salinization.

Soil salinization is a major environmental stressor hindering global crop production. Hydropriming has emerged as a promising approach to reduce salt stress and enhance crop yields on salinized land. However, a better mechanisitic understanding is required to improve salt stress tolerance. We used a biochemical and metabolomics approach to study the effect of salt stress of hydroprimed maize to identify the types and variation of differentially accumulated metabolites. Here we show that hydropriming significantly increased catalase (CAT) activity, soluble sugar and proline content, decreased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and peroxide (H2O2) content. Conversely, hydropriming had no significant effect on POD activity, soluble protein and MDA content under salt stress. The Metabolite analysis indicated that salt stress significantly increased the content of 1278 metabolites and decreased the content of 1044 metabolites. Ethisterone (progesterone) was the most important metabolite produced in the roots of unprimed samples in response to salt s tress. Pathway enrichment analysis indicated that flavone and flavonol biosynthesis, which relate to scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS), was the most significant metabolic pathway related to salt stress. Hydropriming significantly increased the content of 873 metabolites and significantly decreased the content of 1313 metabolites. 5-Methyltetrahydrofolate, a methyl donor for methionine, was the most important metabolite produced in the roots of hydroprimed samples in response to salt stress. Plant growth regulator, such as melatonin, gibberellin A8, estrone, abscisic acid and brassinolide involved in both treatment. Our results not only verify the roles of key metabolites in resisting salt stress, but also further evidence that flavone and flavonol biosynthesis and plant growth regulator relate to salt tolerance.

Phenotypic and Genotypic Characterization of Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae Recovered from a Single Hospital in China, 2013 to 2017.

Objective: Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) have become an increasingly common cause of healthcare-related infections and present a serious challenge to clinical treatment. This study examined the phenotypic, genotypic characterization, clinical, and microbiological data of CRE in the Huizhou Municipal Central Hospital. Methods: We conducted a phenotypic susceptibility evaluation and whole genome sequence analysis for 52 CRE strains isolated from 37 patients and 2 medical device-related samples during 2013-2017 to characterize risk factors, antimicrobial resistance profiles, dominant clones and hospital transmission. Results: Long-term hospitalization, treatment time with antibiotics and use of invasive devices were linked to the risk of CRE infection. The carbapenem resistance genes (CRGs) we found included blaNDM (82.7%), blaIMP (19.2%) and blaKPC (3.8%), Escherichia coli (44.2%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (44.2%) were the dominant species we identified, and the type of CRG carried by isolates was highly correlated with species. The coexistence of CRGs with a variety of other antibiotic resistance genes leads to an increased prevalence of high resistance levels for CRE to ß-lactams and other antibiotic classes such as aminoglycosides and fluoroquinolones. These isolates were sensitive only to colistin and tigecycline. In addition to this, we observed significantly genomic diversity of CRE isolates in this hospital. Importantly, we found that long-term transmission of multiple CRE clones had occurred at this hospital between various wards. Conclusion: Evaluating and improving the current infection control strategies may be necessary, and reducing nosocomial transmission remains the primary control element for CRE infections in China.

Genome-wide association study and transcriptome analysis reveal key genes controlling fruit branch angle in cotton.

Fruit branch angle (FBA), a pivotal component of cotton plant architecture, is vital for field and mechanical harvesting. However, the molecular mechanism of FBA formation is poorly understood in cotton. To uncover the genetic basis for FBA formation in cotton, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 163 cotton accessions with re-sequencing data. A total of 55 SNPs and 18 candidate genes were significantly associated with FBA trait. By combining GWAS and transcriptome analysis, four genes underlying FBA were identified. An FBA-associated candidate gene Ghi_A09G08736, which is homologous to SAUR46 in Arabidopsis thaliana, was detected in our study. In addition, transcriptomic evidence was provided to show that gravity and light were implicated in the FBA formation. This study provides new insights into the genetic architecture of FBA that informs architecture breeding in cotton.

Genetic Mapping and Analysis of a Compact Plant Architecture and Precocious Mutant in Upland Cotton.

With the promotion and popularization of machine cotton-picking, more and more attention has been paid to the selection of early-maturity varieties with compact plant architecture. The type of fruit branch is one of the most important factors affecting plant architecture and early maturity of cotton. Heredity analysis of the cotton fruit branch is beneficial to the breeding of machine-picked cotton. Phenotype analysis showed that the types of fruit branches in cotton are controlled by a single recessive gene. Using an F2 population crossed with Huaxin102 (normal branch) and 04N-11 (nulliplex branch), BSA (Bulked Segregant Analysis) resequencing analysis and GhNB gene cloning in 04N-11, and allelic testing, showed that fruit branch type was controlled by the GhNB gene, located on chromosome D07. Ghnb5, a new recessive genotype of GhNB, was found in 04N-11. Through candidate gene association analysis, SNP 20_15811516_SNV was found to be associated with plant architecture and early maturity in the Xinjiang natural population. The GhNB gene, which is related to early maturity and the plant architecture of cotton, is a branch-type gene of cotton. The 20_15811516_SNV marker, obtained from the Xinjiang natural population, was used for the assisted breeding of machine-picked cotton varieties.

Low ZCCHC9 Gene Expression in Peripheral Blood May Be an Acute Myocardial Infarction Genetic Molecular Marker in Patients with Stable Coronary Atherosclerotic Disease.

PURPOSE: ZCCHC9 is a zinc finger protein with a CCHC zinc finger structure and has important roles in several cellular processes. This study was conducted on an expanded number of samples to evaluate The usefulness of ZCCHC9 gene expression in peripheral blood as a molecular marker for the prediction of AMI (acute myocardial infarction) risk. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Peripheral blood samples were collected from 117 patients with stable CAD (coronary atherosclerotic disease) and 126 patients with AMI. The mRNA level of the ZCCHC9 gene was assessed by qRT-PCR, and its protein level was determined by Western blotting. RESULTS: The AMI group exhibited reduced expression of the ZCCHC9 gene, at both transcript and protein levels, than the stable CAD group. The low expression of the ZCCHC9 gene was not related to blood glucose level (P=0.635), blood lipid level, and troponin level (P=0.715), and may cause AMI through the MAPK signaling pathway. Compared with other patients, patients with low ZCCHC9 gene expression in their peripheral blood have a 2.597-fold higher risk of AMI. CONCLUSION: ZCCHC9 gene expression in peripheral blood was significantly lower in patients with AMI than in stable CAD patients. Individuals with low expression of ZCCHC9 in peripheral blood have higher a probability to develop AMI than those with stable CAD. Thus, lowered ZCCHC9 gene expression can act as an independent risk factor for AMI.

High expression of GLO1 indicates unfavorable clinical outcomes in glioma patients.

BACKGROUNDS: Glyoxalase I (GLO1), a ubiquitous enzyme involved in the process of detoxification of methylglyoxal in the cellular glycolysis pathway, was reported to be highly expressed in human tumor. It has also been found that GLO1 is associated with tumor cell survival and proliferation in some types of cancer, such as pancreatic cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma and gastric cancer. However, the role of GLO1 in glioma has not been clarified. The purpose of the present study was to explore the expression pattern of GLO1 and whether the expression level of GLO1 is associated with the unfavorable clinical outcomes of patients with glioma. METHODS: Quantitative RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry staining were used to investigate the mRNA and protein level of GLO1 in glioma tissues together with normal brain tissues. The prognostic role of GLO1 in glioma patients was assessed using univariate and multivariate analyses. Clinical outcomes were estimated by using the Kaplan-Meier analysis and the log-rank test. The function of GLO1 in glioma cell lines were investigated by in-vitro experiments. RESULTS: Expression level of GLO1 was higher in glioma tissues than that in normal brain tissues. High GLO1 expression was significantly correlated with WHO grade and the poor overall survival time in glioma patients. Moreover, GLO1 was also defined as an unfavorable prognosis factor. Overexpression of GLO1 in the glioma cell line U87 can enhance the tumor cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Whereas knockdown of GLO1 can suppress those abilities. CONCLUSIONS: Our studies demonstrated that GLO1 was highly expressed in glioma tissues and significantly correlated with the poor prognosis of glioma patients. It indicated that GLO1 might serve as a new prognostic predictor and therapeutic target for glioma treatment.

Optimized design for illusion device by genetic algorithm.

The illusion device developed from the scattering cancellation employs very simple homogeneous and isotropic materials, but this device is only valid for electrically small objects. In this paper, we prove that the illusion device optimized by genetic algorithm can be applied to large-scale occasions. For an electrically small target, an optimized core-shell illusion device can achieve better illusion effect than the analytical design based on the scattering cancellation. With the increase of the device size, the ability of the single-layered shell to manipulate the scattering is very limited. For a moderate-size target, two optimized multi-layered examples are presented: one is to make a dielectric cylinder appear as another dielectric target, and the other is to make a conducting cylinder behave like a double-negative-material target. The full-wave simulations are carried out to visualize the similar field distributions of the target and the optimized multi-layered design. This optimized design greatly widens the size application range of the illusion device and can also improve the illusion performance with simple material parameters.

Global Identification and Systematic Analysis of Lysine Malonylation in Maize (Zea mays L.).

Lysine malonylation is a kind of post-translational modifications (PTMs) discovered in recent years, which plays an important regulatory role in plants. Maize (Zea mays L.) is a major global cereal crop. Immunoblotting revealed that maize was rich in malonylated proteins. We therefore performed a qualitative malonylome analysis to globally identify malonylated proteins in maize. In total, 1,722 uniquely malonylated lysine residues were obtained in 810 proteins. The modified proteins were involved in various biological processes such as photosynthesis, ribosome and oxidative phosphorylation. Notably, a large proportion of the modified proteins (45%) were located in chloroplast. Further functional analysis revealed that 30 proteins in photosynthesis and 15 key enzymes in the Calvin cycle were malonylated, suggesting an indispensable regulatory role of malonylation in photosynthesis and carbon fixation. This work represents the first comprehensive survey of malonylome in maize and provides an important resource for exploring the function of lysine malonylation in physiological regulation of maize.

High retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor A gene expression in peripheral blood leukocytes may be related to acute myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate whether differential expression of the retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor A (RORA) gene is related to occurrence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). METHODS: This was a retrospective study. White blood cells of 93 patients with acute myocardial infarction and 74 patients with stable coronary artery disease were collected. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting were used to measure RORA mRNA and protein expression, respectively. RESULTS: RORA mRNA expression levels in peripheral blood leukocytes in patients with AMI were 1.57 times higher than those in patients with stable coronary artery disease. Protein RORA levels in peripheral blood of patients with AMI were increased. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that high expression of RORA was an independent risk factor for AMI, and it increased the risk of AMI by 2.990 times. CONCLUSION: RORA expression levels in patients with AMI is significantly higher than that in patients with stable coronary artery disease. High expression of RORA is related to AMI and it may be an independent risk factor for AMI.

Low Expression of FFAR2 in Peripheral White Blood Cells May Be a Genetic Marker for Early Diagnosis of Acute Myocardial Infarction.

OBJECTIVE: To find molecular markers for the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), this research further verified the relationship between the expression level of FFAR2 gene and AMI by expanding the sample size based on the previous gene chip results. METHODS: Peripheral venous leukocytes were collected from 113 patients with AMI and 94 patients with noncoronary artery disease as the experimental group and the control group, respectively. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the expression of the FFAR2 gene. Western blot analysis was applied to detect the relative expression of the FFAR2 gene at the level of protein. Furthermore, the relationship between gene expression and clinical data was also analyzed and compared. RESULTS: The level of expression of FFAR2 gene in peripheral blood of patients with AMI was significantly lower than that of the control group (0.33 [0.04-1.08], 0.62 [0.07-1.86], respectively; p < 0.05), which was 0.53 times that of the control group. Western blot results presented that the FFAR2 protein level in the peripheral blood of the AMI group was lower than that of the control group (0.114; p=0.004). Analyzing clinical data of the subjects indicated that the average age of the AMI group was significantly higher than the age of control group (p < 0.01). Also, the fasting blood glucose level was higher (p < 0.01), and the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level was lower (p=0.03). The FFAR2 mRNA level correlated positively with the HDL-C level (p < 0.01). Logistic regression analysis suggested that the low expression of the FFAR2 gene in peripheral blood may be a risk factor for AMI independent of age, family history of diabetes, fasting blood glucose level, and HDL-C level (p=0.025). Compared with the high FFAR2 expression group, the risk of AMI in the low FFAR2 expression group was 6.308 times higher. CONCLUSION: The expression level of the FFAR2 gene in peripheral blood of patients with AMI was significantly lower than that in the control group. Low expression of the FFAR2 gene in peripheral blood is an independent risk factor for AMI. Hence, it may also be a potential biomarker to predict AMI.

CDHR5 inhibits proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma and predicts clinical prognosis.

BACKGROUND: As one of the most prevalent malignancies, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ranks the third leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Due to the lack of biomarkers for early diagnosis, the clinical outcome of HCC remains unsatisfied with the current common therapeutic approaches, including surgery and chemotherapies. Thus, sensitive biomarkers and targeted therapies are in great need. AIMS: In this study, we explored and verified whether CDHR5 (cadherin-related family member 5), a cadherin family protein, could serve as the potential biomarkers for HCC in the clinic. METHODS: A retrospective study which contained 154 HCC patients was performed. Chi-square was utilized to analyze the relationship between CDHR5 expression and the clinicopathological features of HCC patients. The Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analyses were then used to evaluate the survival of HCC patients. In addition, cell proliferation assay and colony formation assay were performed to examine the effects of CDHR5 on the progression of HepG2 and Huh7 cells. RESULTS: IHC and RT-qPCR revealed that CDHR5 was downregulated in HCC tissues compared with adjacent liver tissues. In addition, CDHR5 expression was significantly correlated with tumor numbers, tumor size, and TNM stage. CDHR5 expression was then shown to be an independent risk factor for survival of HCC patients by survival analysis. In vitro experiments showed that CDHR5 suppressed the proliferation capacity of HCC cells. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, our study not only identified CDHR5 as a novel prognostic biomarker in HCC but also provided evidence that CDHR5 can inhibit HCC cell proliferation.

Transcriptome Analysis of Apple Leaves in Response to Powdery Mildew (Podosphaera leucotricha) Infection.

Apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.) is one of the most important cultivated tree fruit crops worldwide. However, sustainable apple production is threatened by powdery mildew (PM) disease, which is caused by the obligate biotrophic fungus Podosphaera leucotricha. To gain insight into the molecular basis of the PM infection and disease progression, RNA-based transcriptional profiling (RNA-seq) was used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in apples following inoculation with P. leucotricha. Four RNA-seq libraries were constructed comprising a total of 214 Gb of high-quality sequence. 1177 DEGs (661 upregulated and 629 downregulated) have been identified according to the criteria of a ratio of infection/control fold change > 2, and a false discovery rate (FDR) < 0.001. The majority of DEGs (815) were detected 12 h after inoculation, suggesting that this is an important time point in the response of the PM infection. Gene annotation analysis revealed that DEGs were predominately associated with biological processes, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, hormone signal transduction and plant-pathogen interactions. Genes activated by infection corresponded to transcription factors (e.g., AP2/ERF, MYB, WRKY and NAC) and synthesis of defense-related metabolites, including pathogenesis-related genes, glucosidase and dehydrin. Overall, the information obtained in this study enriches the resources available for research into the molecular-genetic mechanisms of the apple/powdery mildew interactions, and provides a theoretical basis for the development of new apple varieties with resistance to PM.

Hyperbranched Co2P nanocrystals with 3D morphology for hydrogen generation in both alkaline and acidic media.

Hyperbranched Co2P nanocrystals with three-dimensional structure have successfully been synthesized by a facile one-step wet-chemical method. The hyperbranched Co2P are consisted of a large number of nanofilaments. The crystal splitting should be responsible for the formation of this structure. Catalytic performances measurements toward hydrogen evolution reaction for the obtained hyperbranched Co2P nanocrystals demonstrate a small overpotential of 100 mV at current density of 10 mA cm-2, with a Tafel slope of 67 mV dec-1 in 1 M KOH. Durability tests show that slight catalytic activity fading occurs after 2000 CV cycles or 22 h chronoamperometric testing. In addition, the hyperbranched Co2P also perform well in 0.5 M H2SO4 with a low overpotential of 107 mV at 10 mA cm-2 and a Tafel slope of 69 mV dec-1. This facile method provides a strategy for the preparation of low-cost metal phosphide electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution in both alkaline and acidic media.

Expression of Dual-Specificity Phosphatase 2 (DUSP2) in Patients with Serous Ovarian Carcinoma and in SKOV3 and OVCAR3 Cells In Vitro.

BACKGROUND Ovarian cancer commonly presents at a late stage and is associated with poor prognosis. The most common histological subtype is serous ovarian carcinoma. Dual-specificity phosphatase 2 (DUSP2) is a protein phosphatase and substrate for mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) with increased expression levels in malignancy. This study aimed to evaluate the expression of DUSP2 in tumor tissues from patients with serous ovarian carcinoma and the association with tumor grade, stage, and patient survival and to investigate the effects of DUSP2 expression in SKOV3 and OVCAR3 cells in vitro. MATERIAL AND METHODS Tumor tissue and adjacent normal ovarian tissue from 127 patients with histologically confirmed serous ovarian carcinoma underwent quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry to measure DUSP2 mRNA and protein expression, respectively. Tumor grade, stage, and clinicopathological data underwent correlation analysis with DUSP2 expression, and survival data were assessed with Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analysis. The effects of DUSP2 expression on the proliferation and migration of SKOV3 and OVCAR3 cells were evaluated. RESULTS Immunohistochemistry showed that DUSP2 was down-regulated in serous ovarian carcinoma tissues compared with adjacent ovarian tissues, and was significantly correlated with tumor stage. Survival analysis showed that DUSP2 expression was an independent risk factor for patient survival. DUSP2 expression in SKOV3 and OVCAR3 cells in vitro suppressed cell proliferation and migration. CONCLUSIONS Down-regulation of DUSP2 expression in serous ovarian carcinoma was an independent risk factor for patient survival, and its expression in SKOV3 and OVCAR3 cells inhibited cell proliferation and migration in vitro.

Expression of the Grape VaSTS19 Gene in Arabidopsis Improves Resistance to Powdery Mildew and Botrytis cinerea but Increases Susceptibility to Pseudomonas syringe pv Tomato DC3000.

Stilbene synthase (STS) is a key enzyme that catalyzes the biosynthesis of resveratrol compounds and plays an important role in disease resistance. The molecular pathways linking STS with pathogen responses and their regulation are not known. We isolated an STS gene, VaSTS19, from a Chinese wild grape, Vitis amurensis Rupr. cv. "Tonghua-3", and transferred this gene to Arabidopsis. We then generated VaSTS19-expressing Arabidopsis lines and evaluated the functions of VaSTS19 in various pathogen stresses, including powdery mildew, B. cinerea and Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 (PstDC3000). VaSTS19 enhanced resistance to powdery mildew and B. cinerea, but increased susceptibility to PstDC3000. Aniline blue staining revealed that VaSTS19 transgenic lines accumulated more callose compared to nontransgenic control plants, and showed smaller stomatal apertures when exposed to pathogen-associated molecular patterns (flagellin fragment (flg22) or lipopolysaccharides (LPS)). Analysis of the expression of several disease-related genes suggested that VaSTS19 expression enhanced defense responses though salicylic acid (SA) and/or jasmonic acid (JA) signaling pathways. These findings provide a deeper insight into the function of STS genes in defense against pathogens, and a better understanding of the regulatory cross talk between SA and JA pathways.