In silico and in vitro analyses of a novel FoxO1 agonist reducing Aß levels via downregulation of BACE1.

AIMS: FoxO1 is an important target in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, FoxO1-specific agonists and their effects on AD have not yet been reported. This study aimed to identify small molecules that upregulate the activity of FoxO1 to attenuate the symptoms of AD. METHODS: FoxO1 agonists were identified by in silico screening and molecular dynamics simulation. Western blotting and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays were used to assess protein and gene expression levels of P21, BIM, and PPARγ downstream of FoxO1 in SH-SY5Y cells, respectively. Western blotting and enzyme-linked immunoassays were performed to explore the effect of FoxO1 agonists on APP metabolism. RESULTS: N-(3-methylisothiazol-5-yl)-2-(2-oxobenzo[d]oxazol-3(2H)-yl) acetamide (compound D) had the highest affinity for FoxO1. Compound D activated FoxO1 and regulated the expression of its downstream target genes, P21, BIM, and PPARγ. In SH-SY5Y cells treated with compound D, BACE1 expression levels were downregulated, and the levels of Aß1-40 and Aß1-42 were also reduced. CONCLUSIONS: We present a novel small-molecule FoxO1 agonist with good anti-AD effects. This study highlights a promising strategy for new drug discovery for AD.

Physalin B reduces Aß secretion through down-regulation of BACE1 expression by activating FoxO1 and inhibiting STAT3 phosphorylation.

Physalin B (PB), one of the major active steroidal constituents of Solanaceae Physalis plants, has a wide variety of biological activities. We found that PB significantly down-regulated ß-amyloid (Aß) secretion in N2a/APPsw cells. However, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. In the current study, we investigated the changes in key enzymes involved in ß-amyloid precursor protein (APP) metabolism and other APP metabolites by treating N2a/APPsw cells with PB at different concentrations. The results indicated that PB reduced Aß secretion, which was caused by down-regulation of ß-secretase (BACE1) expression, as indicated at both the protein and mRNA levels. Further research revealed that PB regulated BACE1 expression by inducing the activation of forkhead box O1 (FoxO1) and inhibiting the phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). In addition, the effect of PB on BACE1 expression and Aß secretion was reversed by treatment with FoxO1 siRNA and STAT3 antagonist S3I-201. In conclusion, these data demonstrated that PB can effectively down-regulate the expression of BACE1 to reduce Aßsecretion by activating the expression of FoxO1 and inhibiting the phosphorylation of STAT3.

Fusion with matrix attachment regions enhances expression of recombinant protein in human HT-1080 cells.

Like endogenous proteins, recombinant foreign proteins produced in human cell lines also need post-translational modifications. However, high and long-term expression of a gene of interest (GOI) presents significant challenges for recombinant protein production in human cells. In this work, the effect of human matrix attachment region elements (MARs), including the ß-globin MAR (gMAR), chicken lysozyme MAR (cMAR), and a combination of these two, on the stable expression of GOI was assessed in human HT-1080 cells. After transfection with vectors containing the MAR elements and eGFP, stably HT-1080 cell pools were obtained under selective pressure. eGFP protein expression was analyzed by flow cytometry, while transgene copy number and eGFP mRNA expression levels were determined with qPCR and qRT-PCR technology. We found that MARs could not enhance transfection efficiency, but gMAR could significantly increase eGFP expression in stable HT-1080 cell pools by approximately 2.69-fold. Moreover, gMAR could also increase eGFP expression stability during long-term culture. Lastly, we showed that the effect of the MARs on transgenes was related to the gene copy number. In summary, this study found that MARs could both enhance the transgene expression and stability in HT-1080 cells.

Novel short synthetic matrix attachment region for enhancing transgenic expression in recombinant Chinese hamster ovary cells.

Matrix attachment regions (MARs) are DNA fragments with specific motifs that enhance transgenic expression; however, the characteristics and functions of these elements remain unclear. In this study, we designed and synthesized three short chimeric MARs, namely, SM4, SM5, and SM6, with different numbers and orders of motifs on the basis of the features and motifs of previously reported MARs, namely, SM1, SM2, and SM3, respectively. Expression vectors with six synthetic MARs flanking the down or upstream of the expression cassette for enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP) were constructed and introduced into Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Results indicated that the EGFP expression of the CHO cells with transfection bySM4, SM5, or SM6-containing vectors was higher than that of those containing SM1, SM2, or SM3 regardless of the MAR insertion position. The improving effect of SM5 was particularly pronounced. Transgenic expression was further enhanced with the increasing SM5 copy number. Bioinformatics analysis indicated that several arrangements of the DNA-binding motifs for CEBP, FAST, Hox, glutathione, and NMP4 may help increase transgenic expression levels and the average population of highly expressed cells. Our findings on novel synthetic MARs will help establish stable expression systems in mammalian cells.

[Effect of 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9-octachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin on testicular gene expression profiles in male mice].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of 1,2,3,4,6,7,8,9-octachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (OCDD) on the testicular gene expression profile in the testis of mice. METHODS: Twenty male C57BL/6j mice were randomly divided into normal control group (fed with maize oil) and 3 OCDD groups treated with OCDD by gavage for 30 days at low-, moderate-, and high doses of 1.25×10(-6), 1.25 ×10(-5), and 1.25×10(-4) g/mL, respectively (8 mL/kg daily). The testicular gene expression profiles of the mice were investigated using gene chip technique and compared between OCDD-exposed groups and the control group. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the mice in low-dose OCDD group showed 1133 differentially expressed genes, including 659 up-regulated and 474 down-regulated ones; in the moderate-dose OCDD group, 978 genes were differentially expressed, including 487 up-regulated and 491 down-regulated ones; in the high-dose group, 895 genes were differentially expressed, including 424 up-regulated and 471 down-regulated ones. CONCLUSION: The effect of sub-chronic exposure to OCDD on testicular gene expression profiles in male C57BL/6j mice indicates that the testis is probably the target organ of OCDD.