A Fetus with Maternal Uniparental Disomy on Chromosome 20: Case Report with Genetic Analysis and Prenatal Diagnosis.

BACKGROUND: A fetus with increased copy number of chromosome 20 was identified by NIPT. Here we utilize several genetic tests and analyses to illuminate the etiology of such aneuploidy. METHODS: Amniotic fluid cells were extracted from pregnant woman and sent for karyotype and chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA). Trio pedigree analysis was conducted with Chromosome Analysis Suite and uniparental disomy (UPD)-tool software. RESULTS: CMA identified consistent results, which were 2 regions of homozygosity: arr[GRCh37]20p12.2q11.1 (11265096_26266313)hmz and arr[GRCh37]20q11.21q13.2(29510306_54430467)hmz. The trio pedigree analysis discovered that the fetal chromosome 20 was the entire maternal UPD mosaic with isodisomy and heterodisomy. CONCLUSIONS: When a large segment of chromosome is homozygous, appropriate genetic tests are required to find the potential mechanisms for UPD formation.

Inhibition of Hsp110-STAT3 interaction in endothelial cells alleviates vascular remodeling in hypoxic pulmonary arterial Hypertension model.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive and devastating disease characterized by pulmonary vascular remodeling which is associated with the malignant phenotypes of pulmonary vascular cells. Recently, the effects of heat shock protein 110 (Hsp110) in human arterial smooth muscle cells were reported. However, the underlying roles and mechanisms of Hsp110 in human pulmonary arterial endothelial cells (HPAECs) that was disordered firstly at the early stage of PAH remain unknown. METHODS: In this research, the expression of Hsp110 in PAH human patients and rat models was investigated, and the Hsp110 localization was determined both in vivo and in vitro. The roles and mechanism of elevated Hsp110 in excessive cell proliferation and migration of HPAECs were assessed respectively exposed to hypoxia. Small molecule inhibitors targeting Hsp110-STAT3 interaction were screened via fluorescence polarization, anti-aggregation and western blot assays. Moreover, the effects of compound 6 on HPAECs abnormal phenotypes in vitro and pulmonary vascular remodeling of hypoxia-indued PAH rats in vivo by interrupting Hsp110-STAT3 interaction were evaluated. RESULTS: Our studies demonstrated that Hsp110 expression was increased in the serum of patients with PAH, as well as in the lungs and pulmonary arteries of PAH rats, when compared to their respective healthy subjects. Moreover, Hsp110 levels were significantly elevated in HPAECs under hypoxia and mediated its aberrant phenotypes. Furthermore, boosted Hsp110-STAT3 interaction resulted in abnormal proliferation and migration via elevating p-STAT3 and c-Myc in HPAECs. Notably, we successfully identified compound 6 as potent Hsp110-STAT3 interaction inhibitor, which effectively inhibited HPAECs proliferation and migration, and significantly ameliorated right heart hypertrophy and vascular remodeling of rats with PAH. CONCLUSIONS: Our studies suggest that elevated Hsp110 plays a vital role in HPAECs and inhibition of the Hsp110-STAT3 interaction is a novel strategy for improving vascular remodeling. In addition, compound 6 could serve as a promising lead compound for developing first-in-class drugs against PAH.

Baicalein Inhibits Plasmid-Mediated Horizontal Transmission of the blaKPC Multidrug Resistance Gene from Klebsiella pneumoniae to Escherichia coli.

Carbapenem-resistant bacterial infections pose an urgent threat to public health worldwide. Horizontal transmission of the ß-lacatamase Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (blaKPC) multidrug resistance gene is a major mechanism for global dissemination of carbapenem resistance. Here, we investigated the effects of baicalein, an active ingredient of a Chinese herbal medicine, on plasmid-mediated horizontal transmission of blaKPC from a meropenem-resistant K. pneumoniae strain (JZ2157) to a meropenem-sensitive Escherichia coli strain (E600). Baicalein showed no direct effects on the growth of JZ2157 or E600. Co-cultivation of JZ2157 and E600 caused the spread of meropenem resistance from JZ2157 to E600. Baicalein at 40 and 400 µg/mL significantly inhibited the spread of meropenem resistance. Co-cultivation also resulted in plasmid-mediated transmission of blaKPC from JZ2157 to E600, which was inhibited by baicalein. Therefore, baicalein may be used in clinical practice to prevent or contain outbreaks of carbapenem-resistant infections by inhibiting the horizontal transfer of resistance genes across bacteria species.

Retrospective analysis of pulmonary cryptococcosis and extrapulmonary cryptococcosis in a chinese tertiary hospital.

Cryptococcosis is an invasive fungal disease with increased morbidity in China over the past two decades. Cryptococci can infect immunocompromised hosts as well as immunocompetent ones. In this study, we reviewed data of 71 inpatients with cryptococcosis at Ningbo First Hospital from May 2010 to May 2020 and compared the clinical profiles of pulmonary cryptococcosis (PC) and extrapulmonary cryptococcosis (EPC). Of 71 patients (38 males, 33 females), 70 were non-HIV. The annual inpatient population increased dramatically, especially in the PC group. PC was confirmed in 77.46% (55/71) of cases by pathology. The rest were EPC including intracranial infection (15.49%, 11/71) and cryptococcemia (7.04%, 5/71). Compared with PC, a larger proportion of EPC patients were found to have immunocompromised conditions judged by predisposing factors (p < 0.01), or detectable humoral or cellular immunodeficiency. Fever and headache were more common in EPC patients (p < 0.001). Patients with EPC had lower serum sodium level (p = 0.041), lower monocyte counts (p = 0.025) and higher C-reactive protein (p = 0.012). In our study, the sensitivity of cryptococcus antigen detection for EPC was 100% regardless of sample type, while serum lateral flow assay (LFA) tested negative in 25% (5/20) of PC. Immunocompromised hosts are more likely to suffer from EPC than PC.

Interdomain interactions dictate the function of the Candida albicans Hsp110 protein Msi3.

Heat shock proteins of 110 kDa (Hsp110s), a unique class of molecular chaperones, are essential for maintaining protein homeostasis. Hsp110s exhibit a strong chaperone activity preventing protein aggregation (the "holdase" activity) and also function as the major nucleotide-exchange factor (NEF) for Hsp70 chaperones. Hsp110s contain two functional domains: a nucleotide-binding domain (NBD) and substrate-binding domain (SBD). ATP binding is essential for Hsp110 function and results in close contacts between the NBD and SBD. However, the molecular mechanism of this ATP-induced allosteric coupling remains poorly defined. In this study, we carried out biochemical analysis on Msi3, the sole Hsp110 in Candida albicans, to dissect the unique allosteric coupling of Hsp110s using three mutations affecting the domain-domain interface. All the mutations abolished both the in vivo and in vitro functions of Msi3. While the ATP-bound state was disrupted in all mutants, only mutation of the NBD-SBDß interfaces showed significant ATPase activity, suggesting that the full-length Hsp110s have an ATPase that is mainly suppressed by NBD-SBDß contacts. Moreover, the high-affinity ATP-binding unexpectedly appears to require these NBD-SBD contacts. Remarkably, the "holdase" activity was largely intact for all mutants tested while NEF activity was mostly compromised, although both activities strictly depended on the ATP-bound state, indicating different requirements for these two activities. Stable peptide substrate binding to Msi3 led to dissociation of the NBD-SBD contacts and compromised interactions with Hsp70. Taken together, our data demonstrate that the exceptionally strong NBD-SBD contacts in Hsp110s dictate the unique allosteric coupling and biochemical activities.

Identification of selective homeodomain interacting protein kinase 2 inhibitors, a potential treatment for renal fibrosis.

Homeodomain interacting protein kinase 2 (HIPK2) has emerged as a promising target for the discovery of anti-renal fibrosis drugs. Herein, to develop specific pharmacologic inhibitors of HIPK2, we designed and synthesized a series of compounds containing benzimidazole and pyrimidine scaffolds via fragment-based drug design strategy. Kinase assay was applied to evaluate the inhibitory activity of target compounds against HIPKs enzyme. The molecular docking study suggest the contribution of tyrosine residues beside the active sites of HIPK1-3 to the selectivity of active compounds. Compound 15q displayed good selectivity and potent inhibitory activity against HIPK2 compared to other two subtype enzymes. 15q could downregulate phosphorylated p53, the direct substrate of HIPK2, and decrease the fibrosis-related downstream of HIPK2, such as p-Smad3 and α-SMA in NRK-49F cells. 15q showed no effect on the cell apoptosis in fibrotic or cancer cell lines, suggesting little cancer risk of 15q. Notably, 15q displayed encouraging in vivo anti-fibrotic effects in the unilateral ureteral obstruction mouse model, which could be used as a potential lead for structural optimization and candidate for the development of selective HIPK2 inhibitors.

Clinical features of patients with talaromycosis marneffei and microbiological characteristics of the causative strains.

BACKGROUND: Talaromyces marneffei (T. marneffei) is a temperature-dependent dimorphic fungus that is mainly prevalent in Southeast Asia and South China and often causes disseminated life-threatening infections. This study aimed to investigate the clinical features and improve the early diagnosis of talaromycosis marneffei in nonendemic areas. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of six cases of T. marneffei infection. We describe the clinical manifestations, laboratory tests, and imaging manifestations of the six patients. RESULTS: Talaromyces marneffei infection was confirmed by sputum culture, blood culture, tissue biopsy, and metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS). In this study, there were five disseminated-type patients and two HIV patients. One patient died within 24 h, and the others demonstrated considerable improvement after definitive diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Due to the lack of significant clinical presentations of talaromycosis marneffei, many cases may be easily misdiagnosed in nonendemic areas. It is particularly important to analyze the imaging manifestations and laboratory findings of infected patients. With the rapid development of molecular biology, mNGS may be a rapid and effective diagnostic method.

Spherical piezoelectric transducers of functionally graded materials.

In this work, a functionally graded spherical piezoelectric transducer (FG-sPET) is proposed and an accurate theoretical model is constructed, mainly composed of a three-port electromechanical equivalent circuit model (EECM). The EECM of FG-sPET can be connected to that of other vibration systems according to the boundary conditions (force and vibration velocity), making it easier to evaluate the whole mechanical vibration system. The validity of the EECM for FG-sPET is verified by comparison with other literature. The effects of geometric dimensions and non-uniform coefficients on the vibration characteristics (resonance/anti-resonance frequencies and effective electromechanical coupling coefficient) of FG-sPET are also studied, contributing to systematically evaluating the key factors determining the vibration characteristics of FG-sPET. The proposed analytical system is of excellent guidance for the structural optimization design of functionally graded piezoelectric devices.

Multi-mode coupled vibration performance analysis of a radial-longitudinal (R-L) ultrasonic transducer.

A radial-longitudinal (R-L) ultrasonic transducer is designed by compounding a piezoelectric ceramic and an outer metal ring on the central coupling cylinder of a longitudinal cascade transducer. This design is used to realize multi-mode vibration and increase the radiation range. By applying longitudinal and radial double excitation, three coupled vibration modes of the transducer are generated in the frequency range of 15-65 kHz. The coupled vibration dominated by radial vibration is regarded as the best vibration mode of this transducer. The electromechanical equivalent circuit and the resonance frequency equation of the transducer's coupled vibration are derived by using the equivalent elastic method and one-dimensional vibration theory and verified by the finite element method and experimental method. The results show that the electrical impedance frequency curves of the transducer from the three methods are consistent. The transducer is expected to be used in ultrasonic cleaning and liquid processing applications.

First case of bloodstream infection of Trichosporon loubieri in a patient with B-cell lymphocytic leukemia in China.

Trichosporon loubieri is an opportunistic pathogenic fungus that could causes invasive infections for human, which rarely been reported. In the present study, we reported a case of bloodstream infection from a patient with Ph-positive B-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia (B-ALL) due to Trichosporon loubieri. Trichosporon loubieri was identified by Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) gene sequencing. The patient was treated by intravenous voriconazole (VCZ) and amphotericin B (AmB) according to antifungal susceptibility testing and he was still alive so far. To the best of our knowledge, this is the fourth report of human bloodstream infection due to Trichosporon loubieri and the first survival case of its kind in an immunocompromised patient.

Drug repurposing and rediscovery: Design, synthesis and preliminary biological evaluation of 1-arylamino-3-aryloxypropan-2-ols as anti-melanoma agents.

Malignant melanoma (MM) presents as the highest morbidity and mortality type in skin cancer. Herein, inspired by the previously reported anti-melanoma effect of propranolol, a widely applied ß adrenergic receptor antagonist as cardiovascular drug, we set out to exploit its potential as anti-melanoma therapy based on the drug repurposing strategy. Structural optimization of propranolol yielded 5m, which exhibits dramatically improved potency on human melanoma cell growth (1.98-3.70 µM), compared to propranolol (59.5-75.8 µM). Further investigation demonstrated that 5m could inhibit colony formation of melanoma cell line (completely abolished at 2 µM for 5m, partially inhibited at 50 µM for propranolol), induce cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase (both observed at 1 µM). Preliminary mechanism study indicated that 5m could disrupt the cellular microtubule network, which suggested tubulin as a potential target. Docking study provided a structural insight into the interaction between 5m and tubulin. In summary, our study presents a drug repurposing case that redirects a cardiovascular agent to an anti-melanoma agent.

Effect of the interaction between MiR-200b-3p and DNMT3A on cartilage cells of osteoarthritis patients.

The aim of this research is to explore the effect of miR-200b-3p targeting DNMT3A on the proliferation and apoptosis of osteoarthritis (OA) cartilage cells. Quantitative RT-PCR was performed to analyse the expression of miR-200b-3p, DNMT3A, MMP1, MMP3, MMP9, MMP13 and COL II in normal and OA cartilage tissues. The dual-luciferase reporter assay and Western blot assay were conducted to confirm the targeting relationship between miR-200b-3p and DNMT3A. We also constructed eukaryotic expression vector to overexpress miR-200b-3p and DNMT3A. We detected the expression level of MMPs and COL II in stable transfected cartilage cells using RT-PCR and Western blot. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were evaluated using the MTS, pellet culture and Hoechst 33342 staining method. Finally, we explored the effect of miR-200b-3p targeting DNMT3A on the proliferation and apoptosis of OA cartilage cells. The results of RT-PCR indicated that both miR-200b-3p and COL II were down-regulated in OA cartilage tissues, while the expression of DNMT3A and MMPs was up-regulated in OA cartilage tissues. The expressions of DNMT3A, MMPs and COL II detected by Western blot showed the same trend of the results of RT-PCR. The dual-luciferase reporter assay and Western blot assay confirmed the targeting relationship between miR-200b-3p and DNMT3A. In overexpressed miR-200b-3p cartilage cells, DNMT3A and MMPs were significantly down-regulated, COL II was significantly up-regulated, cell viability was enhanced and apoptosis rate was decreased (P < 0.05). In overexpressed DNM3T cartilage cells, MMPs were significantly up-regulated, COL II was significantly down-regulated, cell viability was weakened and apoptosis rate was increased (P < 0.05). MiR-200b-3p inhibited the secretion of MMPs, promoted the synthesis of COL II and enhanced the growth and proliferation of OA cartilage cells through inhibiting the expression of DNMT3A.

Advances in TRPV6 inhibitors for tumors by targeted therapies: Macromolecular proteins, synthetic small molecule compounds, and natural compounds.

TRPV6, a Ca2+-selective member of the transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV) family, plays a key role in extracellular calcium transport, calcium ion reuptake, and maintenance of a local low calcium environment. An increasing number of studies have shown that TRPV6 is involved in the regulation of various diseases. Notably, overexpression of TRPV6 is closely related to the occurrence of various cancers. Research confirmed that knocking down TRPV6 could effectively reduce the proliferation and invasiveness of tumors by mainly mediating the calcium signaling pathway. Hence, TRPV6 has become a promising new drug target for numerous tumor treatments. However, the development of TRPV6 inhibitors is still in the early stage, and the existing TRPV6 inhibitors have poor selectivity and off-target effects. In this review, we focus on summarizing and describing the structure characters, and mechanisms of existing TRPV6 inhibitors to provide new ideas and directions for the development of novel TRPV6 inhibitors.

Clinical, radiological, and laboratory features of HIV-negative pulmonary cryptococcosis with regard to serum lateral flow assay.

Introduction: Cryptococcosis is the second most common invasive yeast infection in China. Pulmonary cryptococcosis (PC) is difficult to diagnose due to the lack of specific clinical features and the limitation of diagnostic techniques. Although lateral flow assay was very useful in diagnosing cryptococcal infection, quite a few patients with PC presented negative serum lateral flow assay (sLFA). Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of HIV-negative patients who were diagnosed with PC in our hospital over the past decade to explore the potential relationship between the clinical profiles and sLFA in PC. Results: In total, 112 patients with sLFA tested were enrolled in this study, of which 58.93% were male. The positivity rate of sLFA for PC was 91.07%. The extent of pulmonary lesions was positively correlated with sLFA grade (Spearman r = 0.268, p < 0.01). Solitary nodule (SN) and pneumonia were the most common imaging findings in PC with negative and positive sLFA respectively. Among 65 symptomatic PC patients, 14 presented with fever and had higher hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) level and more extensive pulmonary involvement (Mann-Whitney U test, p < 0.05) than those without fever. Symptomatic PC patients were more likely to have positive results of sLFA (Mann-Whitney U test, p = 0.05) compared against asymptomatic ones. Discussion: In conclusion, negative sLFA cannot exclude PC in patients with a solitary nodule in lung. Positive sLFA is more reliable in diagnosing PC in symptomatic patients with diffused lesions in lung who generally experience a more severe systemic inflammatory reaction.

Performance of Cryptococcal Antigen Lateral Flow Assay in Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid in HIV-Negative Patients.

OBJECTIVE: We presented the performance of cryptococcal antigen lateral flow assay test using bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples in the HIV-negative Chinese population. METHODS: From January 2019 to June 2022, cryptococcal antigen was detected in both serum and BALF samples from 113 patients with suspected pulmonary cryptococcosis. RESULTS: 49 patients were finally diagnosed with pulmonary cryptococcosis. The sensitivity of cryptococcal antigen lateral flow assay test in serum and BALF specimens from confirmed cases was 90.0% and 96.0%, respectively, and the specificity was 87.3% and 95.5%, respectively. When the diameter of the lung lesion was less than 15 mm, the antigen positivity rate of BALF was higher than that of serum. Moreover, the result of the cryptococcal antigen test was associated with the lymphocytes count of BALF. CONCLUSION: Our data demonstrate that cryptococcal antigen Lateral Flow Assay for BALF specimens might contribute to the early diagnosis of pulmonary cryptococcosis.

A first-in-class inhibitor of Hsp110 molecular chaperones of pathogenic fungi.

Proteins of the Hsp110 family are molecular chaperones that play important roles in protein homeostasis in eukaryotes. The pathogenic fungus Candida albicans, which causes infections in humans, has a single Hsp110, termed Msi3. Here, we provide proof-of-principle evidence supporting fungal Hsp110s as targets for the development of new antifungal drugs. We identify a pyrazolo[3,4-b] pyridine derivative, termed HLQ2H (or 2H), that inhibits the biochemical and chaperone activities of Msi3, as well as the growth and viability of C. albicans. Moreover, the fungicidal activity of 2H correlates with its inhibition of in vivo protein folding. We propose 2H and related compounds as promising leads for development of new antifungals and as pharmacological tools for the study of the molecular mechanisms and functions of Hsp110s.

First Case of Bloodstream Infection Caused by Ruminococcus gnavus in an 85 Year Old Man in China.

Ruminococcus gnavus (R. gnavus) is a gram positive anaerobe and a member of the normal intestinal flora of humans. Here, we present a case study of bloodstream infection caused by R. gnavus in an 85 year old man. We identified R. gnavus using target DNA sequencing. The patient was treated with intravenous meropenem and ceftriaxone based on antimicrobial susceptibility tests. He recovered well and was discharged.