A novel auxin-inducible degron system for rapid, cell cycle-specific targeted proteolysis.

The discrimination of protein biological functions in different phases of the cell cycle is limited by the lack of experimental approaches that do not require pre-treatment with compounds affecting the cell cycle progression. Therefore, potential cycle-specific biological functions of a protein of interest could be biased by the effects of cell treatments. The OsTIR1/auxin-inducible degron (AID) system allows "on demand" selective and reversible protein degradation upon exposure to the phytohormone auxin. In the current format, this technology does not allow to study the effect of acute protein depletion selectively in one phase of the cell cycle, as auxin similarly affects all the treated cells irrespectively of their proliferation status. Therefore, the AID system requires coupling with cell synchronization techniques, which can alter the basal biological status of the studied cell population, as with previously available approaches. Here, we introduce a new AID system to Regulate OsTIR1 Levels based on the Cell Cycle Status (ROLECCS system), which induces proteolysis of both exogenously transfected and endogenous gene-edited targets in specific phases of the cell cycle. We validated the ROLECCS technology by down regulating the protein levels of TP53, one of the most studied tumor suppressor genes, with a widely known role in cell cycle progression. By using our novel tool, we observed that TP53 degradation is associated with increased number of micronuclei, and this phenotype is specifically achieved when TP53 is lost in S/G2/M phases of the cell cycle, but not in G1. Therefore, we propose the use of the ROLECCS system as a new improved way of studying the differential roles that target proteins may have in specific phases of the cell cycle.

Optimized method for dna extraction and PCR amplification in aroeira tree

Molecular markers are important tools in the characterization of plant genetic diversity and can provide support for conservation strategies for endangered populations. The different molecular techniques involve the evaluation of many individuals; therefore, it is crucial to have fast, efficient, and inexpensive methods for DNA extraction. Given the importance of the Aroeira (Myracrodruon urundeuva Fr. All.) it is pertinent to optimize a protocol that allows the obtainment of intact and pure DNA, aiming to assist conservation strategies for this species that is threatened with extinction. Thus, this study aimed to compare five DNA extraction methods: Dellaporta et al. (1983), Doyle and Doyle (1987) modified, Ferreira and Grattapaglia (1995), Romano and Brasileiro (2015), and Khanuja et al. (1999) and optimize the most efficient protocol for M. urundeuva. The modified DNA extraction protocol proposed by Doyle and Doyle (1987), using 100 mg of leaf tissue and 6 µl of ß-mercaptoethanol was the protocol that presented the sharpest bands after DNA electrophoresis and after the reactions of amplification employing Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Therefore, it is suggested to use the protocol described by Doyle and Doyle (1987) modified for the extraction of DNA from young M. urundeuva leaves to carry out techniques involving molecular markers.

In silico study predicts a key role of RNA-binding domains 3 and 4 in nucleolin-miRNA interactions.

RNA binding proteins (RBPs) regulate many important cellular processes through their interactions with RNA molecules. RBPs are critical for posttranscriptional mechanisms keeping gene regulation in a fine equilibrium. Conversely, dysregulation of RBPs and RNA metabolism pathways is an established hallmark of tumorigenesis. Human nucleolin (NCL) is a multifunctional RBP that interacts with different types of RNA molecules, in part through its four RNA binding domains (RBDs). Particularly, NCL interacts directly with microRNAs (miRNAs) and is involved in their aberrant processing linked with many cancers, including breast cancer. Nonetheless, molecular details of the NCL-miRNA interaction remain obscure. In this study, we used an in silico approach to characterize how NCL targets miRNAs and whether this specificity is imposed by a definite RBD-interface. Here, we present structural models of NCL-RBDs and miRNAs, as well as predict scenarios of NCL-miRNA interactions generated using docking algorithms. Our study suggests a predominant role of NCL RBDs 3 and 4 (RBD3-4) in miRNA binding. We provide detailed analyses of specific motifs/residues at the NCL-substrate interface in both these RBDs and miRNAs. Finally, we propose that the evolutionary emergence of more than two RBDs in NCL in higher organisms coincides with its additional role/s in miRNA processing. Our study shows that RBD3-4 display sequence/structural determinants to specifically recognize miRNA precursor molecules. Moreover, the insights from this study can ultimately support the design of novel antineoplastic drugs aimed at regulating NCL-dependent biological pathways with a causal role in tumorigenesis.

Mass COVID-19 patient screening using UvsX and UvsY mediated DNA recombination and high throughput parallel sequencing.

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), also known as 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), is a highly infectious RNA virus. A percentage of patients develop coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) after infection, whose symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath and fatigue. Acute and life-threatening respiratory symptoms are experienced by 10-20% of symptomatic patients, particularly those with underlying medical conditions. One of the main challenges in the containment of COVID-19 is the identification and isolation of asymptomatic/pre-symptomatic individuals. A number of molecular assays are currently used to detect SARS-CoV-2. Many of them can accurately test hundreds or even thousands of patients every day. However, there are presently no testing platforms that enable more than 10,000 tests per day. Here, we describe the foundation for the REcombinase Mediated BaRcoding and AmplificatioN Diagnostic Tool (REMBRANDT), a high-throughput Next Generation Sequencing-based approach for the simultaneous screening of over 100,000 samples per day. The REMBRANDT protocol includes direct two-barcoded amplification of SARS-CoV-2 and control amplicons using an isothermal reaction, and the downstream library preparation for Illumina sequencing and bioinformatics analysis. This protocol represents a potentially powerful approach for community screening of COVID-19 that may be modified for application to any infectious or non-infectious genome.

AKT3-mediated IWS1 phosphorylation promotes the proliferation of EGFR-mutant lung adenocarcinomas through cell cycle-regulated U2AF2 RNA splicing.

AKT-phosphorylated IWS1 regulates alternative RNA splicing via a pathway that is active in lung cancer. RNA-seq studies in lung adenocarcinoma cells lacking phosphorylated IWS1, identified a exon 2-deficient U2AF2 splice variant. Here, we show that exon 2 inclusion in the U2AF2 mRNA is a cell cycle-dependent process that is regulated by LEDGF/SRSF1 splicing complexes, whose assembly is controlled by the IWS1 phosphorylation-dependent deposition of histone H3K36me3 marks in the body of target genes. The exon 2-deficient U2AF2 mRNA encodes a Serine-Arginine-Rich (RS) domain-deficient U2AF65, which is defective in CDCA5 pre-mRNA processing. This results in downregulation of the CDCA5-encoded protein Sororin, a phosphorylation target and regulator of ERK, G2/M arrest and impaired cell proliferation and tumor growth. Analysis of human lung adenocarcinomas, confirmed activation of the pathway in EGFR-mutant tumors and showed that pathway activity correlates with tumor stage, histologic grade, metastasis, relapse after treatment, and poor prognosis.

NCL Inhibition Exerts Antineoplastic Effects against Prostate Cancer Cells by Modulating Oncogenic MicroRNAs.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in men and second most common cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is only temporarily effective for advanced-stage PCa, as the disease inevitably progresses to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). The protein nucleolin (NCL) is overexpressed in several types of human tumors where it is also mislocalized to the cell surface. We previously reported the identification of a single-chain fragment variable (scFv) immuno-agent that is able to bind NCL on the surface of breast cancer cells and inhibit proliferation both in vitro and in vivo. In the present study, we evaluated whether NCL could be a valid therapeutic target for PCa, utilizing DU145, PC3 (CRPC), and LNCaP (androgen-sensitive) cell lines. First, we interrogated the publicly available databases and noted that higher NCL mRNA levels are associated with higher Gleason Scores as well as with recurrent and metastatic tumors. Then, using our anti-NCL scFv, we demonstrated that NCL is expressed on the surface of all three tested cell lines and that NCL inhibition results in reduced proliferation and migration. We also measured the inhibitory effect of NCL targeting on the biogenesis of oncogenic microRNAs such as miR-21, -221 and -222, which was cell context dependent. Taken together, our data provide evidence that NCL targeting inhibits the key hallmarks of malignancy in PCa cells and may provide a novel therapeutic option for patients with advanced-stage PCa.

Tagging enhances histochemical and biochemical detection of Ran Binding Protein 9 in vivo and reveals its interaction with Nucleolin.

The lack of tools to reliably detect RanBP9 in vivo has significantly hampered progress in understanding the biological functions of this scaffold protein. We report here the generation of a novel mouse strain, RanBP9-TT, in which the endogenous protein is fused with a double (V5-HA) epitope tag at the C-terminus. We show that the double tag does not interfere with the essential functions of RanBP9. In contrast to RanBP9 constitutive knock-out animals, RanBP9-TT mice are viable, fertile and do not show any obvious phenotype. The V5-HA tag allows unequivocal detection of RanBP9 both by IHC and WB. Importantly, immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry analyses reveal that the tagged protein pulls down known interactors of wild type RanBP9. Thanks to the increased detection power, we are also unveiling a previously unknown interaction with Nucleolin, a protein proposed as an ideal target for cancer treatment. In summary, we report the generation of a new mouse line in which RanBP9 expression and interactions can be reliably studied by the use of commercially available αtag antibodies. The use of this line will help to overcome some of the existing limitations in the study of RanBP9 and potentially unveil unknown functions of this protein in vivo such as those linked to Nucleolin.

Medicinal plants of the brazilian cerrado: knowing to preserve / Plantas medicinais do cerrado brasileiro: sabendo preservar

The Cerrado is the second largest biome in Brazil and presents an immeasurable and still underexplored ecological diversity. Despite the exuberance of its endemic species, it is one of the 25 global hotspots, due to a high natural biodiversity wealth along with an expressive environment destruction. In this study, we surveyed the knowledge on medicinal use of Cerrado plants held by individuals living in a predominantly Cerrado region. A semi-structured individual questionnaire for qualitative socio-economic characterization and medicinal use of plants was applied to Public Health Service users of the city of Assis, State of Sao Paulo, Brazil. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Assis Regional Hospital (Protocol 4812010). Out of 149 respondents, 90.6% reported knowledge and/or use of plants for therapeutic purposes. Among 115 mentioned plant species, only 11.4% belong to the Cerrado. We also evaluated how matching were the reported uses and the respective published data from scientific studies on the plants' medicinal properties. It was verified that for the few Cerrado plants cited, the respondents described several medicinal applications not scientifically described. More precisely, 60.5% of all medicinal applications were not found in the scientific literature. Besides that, many of the therapeutic effects described in the literature for the Cerrado species were not cited by the interviewed population. Our results indicate a relative unawareness of people on the medicinal potential of the native species of their residence region. We suggest that strengthening connection between popular and scientific knowledge, along with spreading such knowledge, could contribute for an improved valuation about the Cerrado biome and consecutive preservation of it.KEYWORDS: Popular knowledge. Scientific knowledge. Valuation about the biome. INTRODUCTION Use of medicinal plants dates back to ancient times (DUTRA et al., 2016) and, over time, accumulated empirical evidence produced from popular knowledge has enabled incorporation of phytotherapy into traditional medicine with positive results (SANTOS et al., 2011). With the advent of ethnobotany and ethnopharmacology, many of these plants began to be safely used in the production ofherbal medicines for treatment of different diseases, such as infections, tissue inflammation, and pain (EKOR, 2014). It is currently known that several secondary metabolites produced by plants not only protect themselves from herbivory and pathogens, for instance (FÜRSTENBERG-HÄGG; ZAGROBELNY; BAK, 2013; SANCHÉZ-SANCHÉZ; MORQUECHO-CONTRERAS, 2017), but also have beneficial effects on human health (TAIZ; ZEIGER, 2010). However, in many countries, including those that hold a large biodiversity, the native medicinal flora is still barely studied by scientific methods (RIBEIRO et al., 2014). The Cerrado is the second largest biome after the Amazon in Brazil. Although the extensive area of 2,036,448 km2 occupied nowadays by this biome (BARBOSA, 2017), much of the Cerrado has already been transformed into pasture, grain crops or devastated for other uses (KLINK; MACHADO, 2005). Currently, only 8,21% of its total area is fully protected (BARBOSA, 2017). As a result, it is one of the most threatened biomes in the world. According to Mittermeier et al. (2005), the Brazilian Cerrado is one of the 25 global hotspots, areas with concentration of endemic species and exceptional ongoing destruction. Many communities resident in Cerrado regions are comprised of poor people with restricted access to public health services and often dependent Received: 14/05/18 Accepted: 20/11/19

O Cerrado é o segundo maior bioma do Brasil, apresenta uma diversidade ecológica imensurável e ainda pouco explorada. Apesar da exuberância de suas espécies endêmicas, é um dos 25 hotspots globais, pois apresenta alta riqueza natural em termos de biodiversidade e destruição expressiva de seu meio ambiente. Neste estudo, pesquisamos o conhecimento sobre o uso medicinal de plantas do Cerrado entre indivíduos que vivem em uma região predominantemente do Cerrado. Um questionário individual semiestruturado com perguntas de caráter socioeconômicas qualitativas e referentes ao uso medicinal de plantas foi aplicado aos usuários do Serviço de Saúde Pública da cidade de Assis, Estado de São Paulo, Brasil. Este estudo foi aprovado pelo Comitê de Ética do Hospital Regional de Assis (Protocolo 4812010). Dos 149 entrevistados, 90,6% relataram conhecimento e / ou uso de plantas para fins terapêuticos. Entre as 115 espécies de plantas mencionadas, 11,4% pertencem ao Cerrado. Também avaliamos a correlação entre os usos relatados e os respectivos dados publicados em estudos científicos sobre as propriedades medicinais das plantas.Verificou-se que, para as poucas plantas de Cerrado citadas, os entrevistados descreveram diversas aplicações medicinais não descritas cientificamente. Mais precisamente, 60,5% do total das aplicações medicinais não foram encontrados na literatura científica. Além disso, muitos dos efeitos terapêuticos descritos na literatura para as espécies do Cerrado não foram citados pela população entrevistada. Portanto, sugerimos que o fortalecimento da conexão entre conhecimento popular e científico, aliado à disseminação desse conhecimento, poderia contribuir para uma maior valorização do bioma Cerrado e consequentemente a preservação do mesmo.

RANBP9 as potential therapeutic target in non-small cell lung cancer.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the Western world. Despite progress made with targeted therapies and immune checkpoint inhibitors, the vast majority of patients have to undergo chemotherapy with platinum-based drugs. To increase efficacy and reduce potential side effects, a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of the DNA damage response (DDR) is required. We have shown that overexpressby live cell imaging (Incuyion of the scaffold protein RAN binding protein 9 (RANBP9) is pervasive in NSCLC. More importantly, patients with higher levels of RANBP9 exhibit a worse outcome from treatment with platinum-based drugs. Mechanistically, RANBP9 exists as a target and an enabler of the ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) kinase signaling. Indeed, the depletion of RANBP9 in NSCLC cells abates ATM activation and its downstream targets such as pby live cell imaging (Incuy53 signaling. RANBP9 knockout cells are more sensitive than controls to the inhibition of the ataxia and telangiectasia-related (ATR) kinase but not to ATM inhibition. The absence of RANBP9 renders cells more sensitive to drugs inhibiting the Poly(ADP-ribose)-Polymerase (PARP) resulting in a "BRCAness-like" phenotype. In summary, as a result of increased sensitivity to DNA damaging drugs conferred by its ablation in vitro and in vivo, RANBP9 may be considered as a potential target for the treatment of NSCLC. This article aims to report the results from past and ongoing investigations focused on the role of RANBP9 in the response to DNA damage, particularly in the context of NSCLC. This review concludes with future directions and speculative remarks which will need to be addressed in the coming years.

Cancer-Derived Extracellular Vesicle-Associated MicroRNAs in Intercellular Communication: One Cell's Trash Is Another Cell's Treasure.

Several non-protein-coding genomic regions, previously marked as "junk DNA", have been reported to be transcriptionally active, giving rise to non-coding RNA species implicated in fundamental biological and pathological processes. In particular, microRNAs (miRNAs), a class of small non-coding RNAs mediating post-transcriptional gene silencing, are causally involved in several human diseases, including various cancer types. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membranous structures physiologically released by most cell types. Initially, they were considered a "waste-removal" mechanism, through which cells could dispose unnecessary material and organelles. It is now widely demonstrated that EVs also play a critical role in intercellular communication, mediating the horizontal transfer of lipids, proteins, and genetic material. A paradigm shift in the biology of miRNAs was represented by the discovery that EVs, especially from cancer cells, contain miRs. EV-associated miRs act as autocrine, paracrine and endocrine factors, participating in cancer pathogenesis by modulating intercellular communication. Noteworthy, these formerly neglected molecules are now considered the next generation of cancer "theranostic" tools, with strong clinical relevance. In this review, we aim to summarize the most recent findings regarding EV-associated miRs in cancer pathogenesis and in the development of novel anti-neoplastic diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.

The CTLH Complex in Cancer Cell Plasticity.

Cancer cell plasticity is the ability of cancer cells to intermittently morph into different fittest phenotypic states. Due to the intrinsic capacity to change their composition and interactions, protein macromolecular complexes are the ideal instruments for transient transformation. This review focuses on a poorly studied mammalian macromolecular complex called the CTLH (carboxy-terminal to LisH) complex. Currently, this macrostructure includes 11 known members (ARMC8, GID4, GID8, MAEA, MKLN1, RMND5A, RMND5B, RANBP9, RANBP10, WDR26, and YPEL5) and it has been shown to have E3-ligase enzymatic activity. CTLH proteins have been linked to all fundamental biological processes including proliferation, survival, programmed cell death, cell adhesion, and migration. At molecular level, the complex seems to interact and intertwine with key signaling pathways such as the PI3-kinase, WNT, TGFß, and NFκB, which are key to cancer cell plasticity. As a whole, the CTLH complex is overexpressed in the most prevalent types of cancer and may hold the key to unlock many of the biological secrets that allow cancer cells to thrive in harsh conditions and resist antineoplastic therapy.

Association between antibiotic-immunotherapy exposure ratio and outcome in metastatic non small cell lung cancer.

OBJECTIVES: Immunotherapy (IO) is effective in metastatic Non Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC). Gut microbiota has an impact on immunity and its imbalance due to antibiotics may impair the efficacy of IO. We investigated this topic in a case series of NSCLC patients treated with IO. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data about all metastatic NSCLC patients treated with IO between 04/2013 and 01/2018 were collected. Patients were stratified according to antibiotic use during the Early IO Period (EIOP), and according to the Antibiotic-Immunotherapy Exposure Ratio (AIER) defined as "days of antibiotic/days of IO" during the Whole IO Period (WIOP). Survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Log-rank test was used to compare the curves. Multivariate analyses were performed with the Cox model. RESULTS: We analyzed 157 patients. Forty-six patients received antibiotics during the WIOP, 27 patients during the EIOP. No differences in either Progression-Free Survival (PFS) or Overall Survival (OS) were observed according to antibiotic use during the EIOP (p = 0.1772 and p = 0.2492, respectively). Considering the WIOP, median AIER was 4.2%. The patients with a higher AIER had worse PFS (p < 0.0001) and OS (p = 0.0004) than the others. Results were significant also after correction for the IO line (p = 0.0018 for PFS) and performance status (p < 0.0001 for PFS, p = 0.0052 for OS). CONCLUSION: Although no difference in outcome were observed with antibiotic use in the EIOP, a detrimental effect became evident for patients with a higher AIER in the WIOP. If its relevance is confirmed, AIER may become an innovative variable for estimating the impact of antibiotics on IO efficacy.

Circulating immune biomarkers as predictors of the response to pembrolizumab and weekly low dose carboplatin and paclitaxel in NSCLC and poor PS: An interim analysis.

The combination of standard-dose chemotherapy and immunotherapy has been shown to be beneficial for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with good performance status (PS). However, treatment options for patients with poor PS are limited. In the present study, the feasibility and immunological effects of low-dose chemotherapy with carboplatin and paclitaxel combined with immunotherapy with pembrolizumab were examined in patients with metastatic NSCLC and a poor PS. Patients with advanced NSCLC and a PS of 2 were randomized to single-agent pembrolizumab at 200 mg every 3 weeks or pembrolizumab combined with weekly carboplatin area under the curve 1 and paclitaxel 25 mg/m2. Blood for circulating immune cell phenotyping, soluble program death ligand 1 (sPD-L1) and immune-modulatory microRNAs (miRNAs) was collected prior to treatment and at weeks 4 and 7. Ten patients were randomized to the combination arm and 10 to the single-agent arm. Therapy was well tolerated. Four patients discontinued carboplatin due to hypersensitivity reactions but continued pembrolizumab and paclitaxel treatments. Increases in activated CD4+ T cells and in immune-regulatory miRNA, and decreases in myeloid derived suppressor cells were observed in the blood of patients in the combination arm and not in the single-agent arm. Changes in circulating regulatory T cells and sPD-L1 were not observed. Seven patients in the combination arm manifested a partial response compared with only two in the single-agent arm. Weekly low-dose chemotherapy carboplatin and paclitaxel was well tolerated and immunologically active when combined with pembrolizumab in patients with advanced NSCLC and a PS of 2. This combination merits further study in this patient population.

Genetic ablation of interacting with Spt6 (Iws1) causes early embryonic lethality.

IWS1 is an RNA-polymerase II (RNAPII)-associated transcription elongation factor whose biological functions are poorly characterized. To shed some light on the function of this protein at the organismal level, we performed a systematic tissue analysis of its expression and generated Iws1-deficient mice. A thorough immunohistochemical characterization shows that IWS1 protein is present in the nucleus of all cells in most of the examined tissues, with few notable exceptions. We also report that ablation of Iws1 consistently causes lethality at the pre-implantation stage with high expression of the gene in fertilized oocytes. In summary, we are providing evidence that Iws1 is expressed in all adult organs and it is an essential gene for mouse embryonic development.

RANBP9 affects cancer cells response to genotoxic stress and its overexpression is associated with worse response to platinum in NSCLC patients.

Although limited by severe side effects and development of resistance, platinum-based therapies still represent the most common first-line treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, a crucial need in the clinical management of NSCLC is represented by the identification of cases sensitive to DNA damage response (DDR)-targeting drugs, such as cisplatin or PARP inhibitors. Here, we provide a molecular rationale for the stratification of NSCLC patients potentially benefitting from platinum compounds based on the expression levels of RANBP9, a recently identified player of the cellular DDR. RANBP9 was found overexpressed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in NSCLC compared to normal adjacent tissues (NATs) (n = 147). Moreover, a retrospective analysis of 132 platinum-treated patients from the multi-centric TAILOR trial showed that RANBP9 overexpression levels are associated with clinical response to platinum compounds [Progression Free Survival Hazard Ratio (RANBP9 high vs low) 1.73, 95% CI 1.15-2.59, p = 0.0084; Overall Survival HR (RANBP9 high vs low) 1.99, 95% CI 1.27-3.11, p = 0.003]. Accordingly, RANBP9 KO cells showed higher sensitivity to cisplatin in comparison with WT controls both in vitro and in vivo models. NSCLC RANBP9 KO cells were also more sensitive than control cells to the PARP inhibitor olaparib alone and in combination with cisplatin, due to defective ATM-dependent and hyper-activated PARP-dependent DDR. The current investigation paves the way to prospective studies to assess the clinical value of RANBP9 protein levels as prognostic and predictive biomarker of response to DDR-targeting drugs, leading to the development of new tools for the management of NSCLC patients.

Scorpins in the DNA Damage Response.

The DNA Damage Response (DDR) is a complex signaling network that comes into play when cells experience genotoxic stress. Upon DNA damage, cellular signaling pathways are rewired to slow down cell cycle progression and allow recovery. However, when the damage is beyond repair, cells activate complex and still not fully understood mechanisms, leading to a complete proliferative arrest or cell death. Several conventional and novel anti-neoplastic treatments rely on causing DNA damage or on the inhibition of the DDR in cancer cells. However, the identification of molecular determinants directing cancer cells toward recovery or death upon DNA damage is still far from complete, and it is object of intense investigation. SPRY-containing RAN binding Proteins (Scorpins) RANBP9 and RANBP10 are evolutionarily conserved and ubiquitously expressed proteins whose biological functions are still debated. RANBP9 has been previously implicated in cell proliferation, survival, apoptosis and migration. Recent studies also showed that RANBP9 is involved in the Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM) signaling upon DNA damage. Accordingly, cells lacking RANBP9 show increased sensitivity to genotoxic treatment. Although there is no published evidence, extensive protein similarities suggest that RANBP10 might have partially overlapping functions with RANBP9. Like RANBP9, RANBP10 bears sites putative target of PIK-kinases and high throughput studies found RANBP10 to be phosphorylated following genotoxic stress. Therefore, this second Scorpin might be another overlooked player of the DDR alone or in combination with RANBP9. This review focuses on the relatively unknown role played by RANBP9 and RANBP10 in responding to genotoxic stress.

MicroRNAs for the Diagnosis and Management of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma: A Literature Review.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare and aggressive tumor with a variable incidence among different countries. Occupational asbestos exposure is the most important etiological factor and a very long latency period is widely reported. In the early phase of the disease, clinical signs are absent or not specific. For this reason, the diagnosis is frequently achieved only in the advanced stages. The histopathological diagnosis per se is also very complex, and no known factor can predict the prognosis with certainty. Nonetheless, current survival rates remain very low, despite the use of standard treatments, which include surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The identification of new prognostic and/or diagnostic biomarkers, and the discovery of therapeutic targets is a priority and could lead to a real significant impact on the management of malignant pleural mesothelioma. In this scenario, the role of microRNAs is becoming increasingly relevant, with the promise of a quick translation in the current clinical practice. Despite the relative novelty of this field, the number of works and candidate microRNAs that are present in literature is striking. Unfortunately, to date the microRNAs with the most clinical relevance for MPM are still matter of debate, probably due to the variety of approaches, techniques, and collected samples. Although specific microRNAs (e.g., let-7, miR-15 and miR-16, miR-21, miR-34a, and the miR-200 family) have been reported several times from different groups, the heterogeneity of published data reinforces the need of more comprehensive and unified studies on this topic. In this review we collect and discuss the studies focused on the involvement of microRNAs in different aspects of MPM, from their biological role in tumorigenesis and progression, to their possible application as diagnostic, prognostic and predictive biomarkers. Lastly, we examine their potential value as for the design of therapeutic approaches that could benefit MPM patients.