Outbreak of acute respiratory disease caused by human adenovirus type 7 and human coronavirus-229E in Zhejiang Province, China.

In 2019, an outbreak of pharyngoconjunctival fever (PCF) occurred at a swimming center in Zhejiang Province, China. A total of 97 (13.55%) of the 716 amateur swimmers had illnesses, with 24 patients (24.74%) hospitalized in the pediatric ward. Human adenovirus serotype 7 (HAdV-7) was isolated from one concentrated water from the swimming pool, and 20 of 97 positive cases without liver damage. This outbreak led to a nosocomial outbreak in the pediatric ward, in which 1 nurse had a fever and was confirmed to be adenovirus positive. The hexon, fiber, and penton genes from 20 outbreak cases, 1 water sample, and 1 nurse had 100% homology. Furthermore, 2 cases admitted to the pediatric ward, 2 parents, and 1 doctor were confirmed to be human coronaviruses (HCoV-229E) positive. Finally, all outbreak cases had fully recovered, regardless of a single infection (adenovirus or HCoV-229E) or coinfection of these two viruses simultaneously. Thus, PCF and acute respiratory disease outbreaks in Zhejiang were caused by the completely homologous type 7 adenovirus and HCoV-229E, respectively. The swimming pool water contaminated with HAdV-7 was most likely the source of the PCF outbreak, whereas nosocomial transmission might be the source of HCoV-229E outbreak.

Epigenome-wide DNA methylation and transcriptome profiling of localized and locally advanced prostate cancer: Uncovering new molecular markers.

BACKGROUND: It has become increasingly important to identify molecular markers for accurately diagnosing prostate cancer (PCa) stages between localized PCa (LPC) and locally advanced PCa (LAPC). However, there is a lack of profiling both epigenome-wide DNA methylation and transcriptome for the same patients with PCa at different stages. This study aims to identify epitranscriptomic biomarkers screened in the peri-prostatic (PP) adipose tissue for predicting LPC and LAPC. METHODS: We profiled gene expression and DNA methylation of 10 PCa patients' PP adipose tissue (4 LPC and 6 LAPC). Differential analysis was used to identify differentially methylated CpG sites and expressed genes. An integrative analysis of the microarray gene expression profiles and DNA methylation profiles was conducted using LASSO (least absolute shrinkage and selection operator) between each studied gene and the CpG sites in their promoter region. This epitranscriptomic signature was constructed by combining the association and differential analyses. The signature was then refined using the genetic mutation data of >1500 primary PCa and metastasis PCa samples from 4 different studies. We determined genes that were the most significantly affected by mutations. Machine learning models were built to evaluate the classification ability of the identified signature using the gene expression profiles from three external cohorts. RESULTS: From the LASSO-based association analysis, we identified 56 genes presenting significant anti-correlation between the expression level and the methylation level of at least one CpG site in the promoter region (p-value<5 × 10-8). From the differential analysis, we detected 16,405 downregulated genes and 9485 genes containing at least one hypermethylated CpG site. We identified 30 genes that showed anti-correlation, down-regulation and hyper-methylation simultaneously. Using genetic mutation data, we determined that 6 of the 30 genes showed significant differences (adjusted p-value<0.05) in mutation frequencies between the primary PCa and metastasis PCa samples. The identified 30 genes performed well in distinguishing PCa patients with metastasis from PCa patient without metastasis (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) = 0.81). The gene signature also performed well in distinguishing PCa patients with high risk of progression from PCa patients with low risk of progression (AUC = 0.88). CONCLUSIONS: We established an integrative framework to identify differentially expressed genes with an aberrant methylation pattern on PP adipose tissue that may represent novel candidate molecular markers for distinguishing between LPC and LAPC.

The impact of B-cell-directed therapy on SARS-CoV-2 vaccine efficacy in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.

Prior reports evaluating SARS-CoV-2 vaccine efficacy in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) used semiquantitative measurements of anti-S to evaluate immunity; however, neutralization assays were used to assess functional immunity in the trials leading to vaccine approval. Here, we identified decreased rates of seroconversion in vaccinated CLL patients and lower anti-S levels compared to healthy controls. Notably, we demonstrated similar results with the Roche anti-S assay and neutralization activity. Durable responses were seen at six months; augmentation with boosters was possible in responding patients. Absence of normal B cells, frequently seen in patients receiving Bruton tyrosine kinase and B-cell lymphoma 2 inhibitors, was a strong predictor of lack of seroconversion.

In Vivo Generation of BK and JC Polyomavirus Defective Viral Genomes in Human Urine Samples Associated with Higher Viral Loads.

Defective viral genomes (DVGs) are parasitic viral sequences containing point mutations, deletions, or duplications that might interfere with replication. DVGs are often associated with viral passage at high multiplicities of infection in culture systems but have been increasingly reported in clinical specimens. To date however, only RNA viruses have been shown to contain DVGs in clinical specimens. Here, using direct deep sequencing with multiple library preparation strategies and confirmatory digital droplet PCR (ddPCR) of urine samples taken from immunosuppressed individuals, we show that clinical BK polyomavirus (BKPyV) and JC polyomavirus (JCPyV) strains contain widespread genomic rearrangements across multiple loci that likely interfere with viral replication. BKPyV DVGs were derived from BKPyV genotypes Ia, Ib-1, and Ic. The presence of DVGs was associated with specimens containing higher viral loads but never reached clonality, consistent with a model of parasitized replication. These DVGs persisted during clinical infection as evidenced in two separate pairs of samples containing BK virus collected from the same individual up to 302 days apart. In a separate individual, we observed the generation of DVGs after a 57.5-fold increase in viral load. In summary, by extending the presence of DVGs in clinical specimens to DNA viruses, we demonstrate the ubiquity of DVGs in clinical virology.IMPORTANCE Defective viral genomes (DVGs) can have a significant impact on the production of infectious virus particles. DVGs have only been identified in cultured viruses passaged at high multiplicities of infection and RNA viruses collected from clinical specimens; no DNA virus in the wild has been shown to contain DVGs. Here, we identified BK and JC polyomavirus DVGs in clinical urine specimens and demonstrated that these DVGs are more frequently identified in samples with higher viral loads. The strains containing DVGs had rearrangements throughout their genomes, with the majority affecting genes required for viral replication. Longitudinal analysis showed that these DVGs can persist during an infection but do not reach clonality within the chronically infected host. Our identification of polyomavirus DVGs suggests that these parasitic sequences exist across the many classes of viruses capable of causing human disease.

Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Levels Measured by the AdviseDx SARS-CoV-2 Assay Are Concordant with Previously Available Serologic Assays but Are Not Fully Predictive of Sterilizing Immunity.

With the availability of widespread SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, high-throughput quantitative anti-spike protein serological testing will likely become increasingly important. Here, we investigated the performance characteristics of the recently FDA-authorized semiquantitative anti-spike protein AdviseDx SARS-CoV-2 IgG II assay compared to the FDA-authorized anti-nucleocapsid protein Abbott Architect SARS-CoV-2 IgG, Roche Elecsys anti-SARS-CoV-2-S, EuroImmun anti-SARS-CoV-2 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and GenScript surrogate virus neutralization assays and examined the humoral response associated with vaccination, natural protection, and vaccine breakthrough infection. The AdviseDx assay had a clinical sensitivity at 14 days after symptom onset or 10 days after PCR detection of 95.6% (65/68; 95% confidence interval [CI], 87.8 to 98.8%), with two discrepant individuals seroconverting shortly thereafter. The AdviseDx assay demonstrated 100% positive percent agreement with the four other assays examined using the same symptom onset or PCR detection cutoffs. Using a recently available WHO international standard for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody, we provide assay unit conversion factors to international units for each of the assays examined. We performed a longitudinal survey of healthy vaccinated individuals, finding that median AdviseDx immunoglobulin levels peaked 7 weeks after first vaccine dose at approximately 4,000 IU/ml. Intriguingly, among the five assays examined, there was no significant difference in antigen binding level or neutralizing activity between two seropositive patients protected against SARS-CoV-2 infection in a previously described fishing vessel outbreak and five health care workers who experienced vaccine breakthrough of SARS-CoV-2 infection, all with variants of concern. These findings suggest that protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection cannot currently be predicted exclusively using in vitro antibody assays against wild-type SARS-CoV-2 spike. Further work is required to establish protective correlates for SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Evaluation of Cell-Based and Surrogate SARS-CoV-2 Neutralization Assays.

Determinants of protective immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection require the development of well-standardized, reproducible antibody assays. This need has led to the emergence of a variety of neutralization assays. Head-to-head evaluation of different SARS-CoV-2 neutralization platforms could facilitate comparisons across studies and laboratories. Five neutralization assays were compared using 40 plasma samples from convalescent individuals with mild to moderate coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): four cell-based systems using either live recombinant SARS-CoV-2 or pseudotyped viral particles created with lentivirus (LV) or vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) packaging and one surrogate enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-based test that measures inhibition of the spike protein receptor binding domain (RBD) binding its receptor human angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (hACE2). Vero cells, Vero E6 cells, HEK293T cells expressing hACE2, and TZM-bl cells expressing hACE2 and transmembrane serine protease 2 were tested. All cell-based assays showed 50% neutralizing dilution (ND50) geometric mean titers (GMTs) that were highly correlated (Pearson r = 0.81 to 0.89) and ranged within 3.4-fold. The live virus assay and LV pseudovirus assays with HEK293T/hACE2 cells showed very similar mean titers, 141 and 178, respectively. ND50 titers positively correlated with plasma IgG targeting SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and RBD (r = 0.63 to 0.89), but moderately correlated with nucleoprotein IgG (r = 0.46 to 0.73). ND80 GMTs mirrored ND50 data and showed similar correlation between assays and with IgG concentrations. The VSV pseudovirus assay and LV pseudovirus assay with HEK293T/hACE2 cells in low- and high-throughput versions were calibrated against the WHO SARS-CoV-2 IgG standard. High concordance between the outcomes of cell-based assays with live and pseudotyped virions enables valid cross-study comparison using these platforms.

Histone demethylase KDM4A overexpression improved the efficiency of corrected human tripronuclear zygote development.

Human zygotes are difficult to obtain for research because of limited resources and ethical debates. Corrected human tripronuclear (ch3PN) zygotes obtained by removal of the extra pronucleus from abnormally fertilized tripronuclear (3PN) zygotes are considered an alternative resource for basic scientific research. In the present study, eight-cell and blastocyst formation efficiency were significantly lower in both 3PN and ch3PN embryos than in normal fertilized (2PN) embryos, while histone H3 lysine 9 trimethylation (H3K9me3) levels were much higher. It was speculated that the aberrant H3K9me3 level detected in ch3PN embryos may be related to low developmental competence. Microinjection of 1000 ng/µl lysine-specific demethylase 4A (KDM4A) mRNA effectively reduced the H3K9me3 level and significantly increased the developmental competence of ch3PN embryos. The quality of ch3PN zygotes improved as the grading criteria, cell number and pluripotent expression significantly increased in response to KDM4A mRNA injection. Developmental genes related to zygotic genome activation (ZGA) were also upregulated. These results indicate that KDM4A activates the transcription of the ZGA program by enhancing the expression of related genes, promoting epigenetic modifications and regulating the developmental potential of ch3PN embryos. The present study will facilitate future studies of ch3PN embryos and could provide additional options for infertile couples.

Specific allelic discrimination of N501Y and other SARS-CoV-2 mutations by ddPCR detects B.1.1.7 lineage in Washington State.

Real-time epidemiological tracking of variants of concern (VOCs) can help limit the spread of more contagious forms of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), such as those containing the N501Y mutation. Typically, genetic sequencing is required to be able to track VOCs in real-time. However, sequencing can take time and may not be accessible in all laboratories. Genotyping by RT-ddPCR offers an alternative to rapidly detect VOCs through discrimination of specific alleles such as N501Y, which is associated with increased transmissibility and virulence. Here we describe the first cases of the B.1.1.7 lineage of SARS-CoV-2 detected in Washington State by using a combination of reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), RT-ddPCR, and next-generation sequencing. We initially screened 1035 samples positive for SARS-CoV-2 by our CDC-based laboratory-developed assay using ThermoFisher's multiplex RT-PCR COVID-19 assay over four weeks from late December 2020 to early January 2021. S gene target failures (SGTF) were subsequently assayed by RT-ddPCR to confirm four mutations within the S gene associated with the B.1.1.7 lineage: a deletion at amino acid (AA) 69-70 (ACATGT), deletion at AA 145, (TTA), N501Y mutation (TAT), and S982A mutation (GCA). All four targets were detected in two specimens; follow-up sequencing revealed a total of 9 mutations in the S gene and phylogenetic clustering within the B.1.1.7 lineage. Next, we continued screening samples for SGTF detecting 23 additional B.1.1.7 variants by RT-ddPCR and confirmed by sequencing. As VOCs become increasingly prevalent, molecular diagnostic tools like RT-ddPCR can be utilized to quickly, accurately, and sensitively distinguish more contagious lineages of SARS-CoV-2.

Bis-isatin derivatives: design, synthesis, and biological activity evaluation as potent dimeric DJ-1 inhibitors.

The PARK7 gene (encode DJ-1 protein) was first discovered as an oncogene and later found to be a causative gene for autosomal recessive early onset Parkinson's disease. DJ-1 has been proposed as a potential therapeutic anticancer target due to its pivotal role in tumorigenesis and cancer progression. Based on the homodimer structure of DJ-1, a series of bis-isatin derivatives with different length linkers were designed, synthesized, and evaluated as dimeric inhibitors targeting DJ-1 homodimer. Among them, DM10 with alkylene chain of C10 displayed the most potent inhibitory activity against DJ-1 deglycase. We further demonstrated that DM10 bound covalently to the homodimer of DJ-1. In human cancer cell lines H1299, MDA-MB-231, BEL7402, and 786-O, DM10 (2.5-20 µM) inhibited the cell growth in a concentration-dependent manner showing better anticancer effects compared with the positive control drug STK793590. In nude mice bearing H1299 cell xenograft, intratumor injection of DM10 (15 mg/kg) produced significantly potent tumor growth inhibition when compared with that caused by STK793590 (30 mg/kg). Moreover, we found that DM10 could significantly enhance N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)retinamide-based apoptosis and erastin-based ferroptosis in H1299 cells. In conclusion, DM10 is identified as a potent inhibitor targeting DJ-1 homodimer with the potential as sensitizing agent for other anticancer drugs, which might provide synergistical therapeutic option for cancer treatment.

The C terminus of DJ-1 determines its homodimerization, MGO detoxification activity and suppression of ferroptosis.

DJ-1 is a multifunctional protein associated with cancers and autosomal early-onset Parkinson disease. Besides the well-documented antioxidative stress activity, recent studies show that DJ-1 has deglycation enzymatic activity and anti-ferroptosis effect. It has been shown that DJ-1 forms the homodimerization, which dictates its antioxidative stress activity. In this study, we investigated the relationship between the dimeric structure of DJ-1 and its newly reported activities. In HEK293T cells with Flag-tagged and Myc-tagged DJ-1 overexpression, we performed deletion mutations and point mutations, narrowed down the most critical motif at the C terminus. We found that the deletion mutation of the last three amino acids at the C terminus of DJ-1 (DJ-1 ΔC3) disrupted its homodimerization with the hydrophobic L187 residue being of great importance for DJ-1 homodimerization. In addition, the ability in methylglyoxal (MGO) detoxification and deglycation was almost abolished in the mutation of DJ-1 ΔC3 and point mutant L187E compared with wild-type DJ-1 (DJ-1 WT). We also showed the suppression of erastin-triggered ferroptosis in DJ-1-/- mouse embryonic fibroblast cells was abolished by ΔC3 and L187E, but partially diminished by V51C. Thus, our results demonstrate that the C terminus of DJ-1 is crucial for its homodimerization, deglycation activity, and suppression of ferroptosis.

Severity and factors of menopausal symptoms in middle-aged women in Gansu Province of China: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the severity and risk factors of menopausal symptoms in the middle-aged women in Gansu Province of China. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 7319 women (aged 40-55 years) attended the health survey in Gansu Province in China were enrolled. Information on demographics, menopausal status, reproductive history, and history of chronic diseases was collected via a structured questionnaire. Severity of menopausal symptom was evaluated by the Modified Kupperman Menopausal Index. Ordinal logistic regression model was applied to explore its risk factors. RESULTS: A total of 7319 participants were included in present study, among them, 3606 (49.27%) had moderate or severe menopausal symptom. Compared with premenopausal women, perimenopausal and postmenopausal women have a higher mKMI score. We observed that older age, higher BMI, non-married status, longer duration of menstruation (≥ 7 days), number of pregnancy (> 3 times), longer duration of breastfeeding (> 12 months), peri- or post-menopausal status, and menopause hormone therapy was positively associated with menopausal symptom score, while higher level of family income, educational and physical activity, and history of gynecological, breast or chronic disease were negatively associated with the score. CONCLUSIONS: Numerous factors were associated with the severity of menopausal symptom among the Chinese women. Because it was gradually increased with aging, more attention is warranted to manage the menopausal symptom.

Neutralizing Antibodies Correlate with Protection from SARS-CoV-2 in Humans during a Fishery Vessel Outbreak with a High Attack Rate.

The development of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 would be greatly facilitated by the identification of immunological correlates of protection in humans. However, to date, studies on protective immunity have been performed only in animal models and correlates of protection have not been established in humans. Here, we describe an outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 on a fishing vessel associated with a high attack rate. Predeparture serological and viral reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) testing along with repeat testing after return to shore was available for 120 of the 122 persons on board over a median follow-up of 32.5 days (range, 18.8 to 50.5 days). A total of 104 individuals had an RT-PCR-positive viral test with a cycle threshold (CT ) of <35 or seroconverted during the follow-up period, yielding an attack rate on board of 85.2% (104/122 individuals). Metagenomic sequencing of 39 viral genomes suggested that the outbreak originated largely from a single viral clade. Only three crew members tested seropositive prior to the boat's departure in initial serological screening and also had neutralizing and spike-reactive antibodies in follow-up assays. None of the crew members with neutralizing antibody titers showed evidence of bona fide viral infection or experienced any symptoms during the viral outbreak. Therefore, the presence of neutralizing antibodies from prior infection was significantly associated with protection against reinfection (Fisher's exact test, P = 0.002).

Comparative Performance of SARS-CoV-2 Detection Assays Using Seven Different Primer-Probe Sets and One Assay Kit.

Nearly 400,000 people worldwide are known to have been infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) beginning in December 2019. The virus has now spread to over 168 countries including the United States, where the first cluster of cases was observed in the Seattle metropolitan area in Washington. Given the rapid increase in the number of cases in many localities, the availability of accurate, high-throughput SARS-CoV-2 testing is vital to efforts to manage the current public health crisis. In the course of optimizing SARS-CoV-2 testing performed by the University of Washington Clinical Virology Lab (UW Virology Lab), we evaluated assays using seven different primer-probe sets and one assay kit. We found that the most sensitive assays were those that used the E-gene primer-probe set described by Corman et al. (V. M. Corman, O. Landt, M. Kaiser, R. Molenkamp, et al., Euro Surveill 25:2000045, 2020, https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.3.2000045) and the N2 set developed by the CDC (Division of Viral Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/rt-pcr-panel-primer-probes.pdf). All assays tested were found to be highly specific for SARS-CoV-2, with no cross-reactivity with other respiratory viruses observed in our analyses regardless of the primer-probe set or kit used. These results will provide valuable information to other clinical laboratories who are actively developing SARS-CoV-2 testing protocols at a time when increased testing capacity is urgently needed worldwide.

Isolation of an anti-entomopathogenic fungal protein secreted from Pseudomonas aeruginosa BGf-2: An intestinal bacteriam of Blattella germanica (L.).

A bacterial strain (BGf-2) with anti-Beauveria bassiana activity was obtained from the feces of Blattella germanica (L.) and identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa based on biochemical tests and 16S rRNA sequence analysis. An antifungal protein (A0A0H2ZK06) was purified with Sephadex G-100 column and DEAE-sepharose Fast Flowanion exchange from sterile BGf-2 fermentation liquid. Based on MALDI-TOF MS analysis and protein model building, A0A0H2ZK06 showed homology with Pyrrolidone carboxyl peptidases (pcps). Fermentation liquid and antifungal proteins not only reduced the B. bassiana conidial germination rate but also inhibited hyphal growth. A per os test showed that the mortality of cockroaches decreased after treatment with BGf-2 suspension compared with control. We hypothesized that gut microbes with antifungal activity might play an important role in protect cockroaches from pathogenic fungi.

Loss of homeoprotein Msx1 and Msx2 leading to athletic and kinematic impairment related to the increasing neural excitability of neurons in aberrant neocortex in mice.

Although homeoproteins Msx1 and Msx2, the cell-specific transcription regulators, have been proven to play multiple roles in the embryogenesis of bone, muscle and tooth, the functions and mechanisms of Msx1 and Msx2 in the development of the central nervous system of mice after birth are not clear because of the death of Msx1 and Msx1/2 germline-deleted embryo at late gestation of mouse. In current research, Nestin-Cre mice was introduced to generate the central nervous system-specific knockout mice (Nestin-Cre;Msx1,Msx2fl/fl). We found that besides the falling of the body mass and the brain volume, the cortical tissue sections and staining showed the decreasing thickness of layer II-IV and declining number of vertebral cells in layer V resulting from Msx1/2 deletion. In addition, electrophysiological tests revealed the aberrant action potential parameters of deep pyramidal neurons in Nestin-Cre;Msx1,2 fl/fl mice, which may be related with the ethology impairment displayed in further experiments. We discovered Nestin-Cre;Msx1,2 fl/fl mice had severe impairment in their athletic ability and kinematic learning ability in rotate test, and exhibited hyperactivity in open-field test. Above all, our results revealed that deletion of homeoproteins Msx1 and Msx2 could lead to behavioral disorders and suggested that Msx1 and Msx2 played a crucial role in regulating the development and function of the neocortex. In addition, our current research provided a new mouse model for understanding the pathogenesis of human central nervous system disease.

Bisulfite-independent analysis of CpG island methylation enables genome-scale stratification of single cells.

Conventional DNA bisulfite sequencing has been extended to single cell level, but the coverage consistency is insufficient for parallel comparison. Here we report a novel method for genome-wide CpG island (CGI) methylation sequencing for single cells (scCGI-seq), combining methylation-sensitive restriction enzyme digestion and multiple displacement amplification for selective detection of methylated CGIs. We applied this method to analyzing single cells from two types of hematopoietic cells, K562 and GM12878 and small populations of fibroblasts and induced pluripotent stem cells. The method detected 21 798 CGIs (76% of all CGIs) per cell, and the number of CGIs consistently detected from all 16 profiled single cells was 20 864 (72.7%), with 12 961 promoters covered. This coverage represents a substantial improvement over results obtained using single cell reduced representation bisulfite sequencing, with a 66-fold increase in the fraction of consistently profiled CGIs across individual cells. Single cells of the same type were more similar to each other than to other types, but also displayed epigenetic heterogeneity. The method was further validated by comparing the CpG methylation pattern, methylation profile of CGIs/promoters and repeat regions and 41 classes of known regulatory markers to the ENCODE data. Although not every minor methylation differences between cells are detectable, scCGI-seq provides a solid tool for unsupervised stratification of a heterogeneous cell population.

The cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, JNJ-7706621, improves in vitro developmental competence of porcine parthenogenetic activation and somatic cell nuclear transfer embryos.

In this study we examined the effects of JNJ-7706621, a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, on the in vitro growth of pig embryos that had been produced either by parthenogenetic activation (PA) or somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). A significantly higher percentage of PA embryos reached the blastocyst stage by Day 7 after exposure to 10µM JNJ-7706621 for 4h compared with embryos exposed to 5µgmL-1 cytochalasin B for 4h (P<0.05). Similarly, the rate of Tyr15 phosphorylation of the complex of cyclin and p34cdc2 (CDK1) was significantly elevated in the JNJ-7706621-treated embryos compared with embryos exposed to cytochalasin B or non-treated controls (P<0.05). In contrast, Thr161 phosphorylation of CDK1 was significantly lower in the JNJ-7706621-treated group compared with the cytochalasin B-treated as well as the non-treated group (P<0.05). Similarly, the level of M-phase-promoting factor (MPF) in embryos was significantly lower in the JNJ-7706621-treated group compared with the cytochalasin B-treated and non-treated groups (P<0.05). In addition, more SCNT embryos reached the blastocyst stage after treatment with JNJ-7706621 than following exposure to cytochalasin B (P<0.05). In conclusion, these results reveal that exposure to 10µM JNJ-7706621 for 4h improves early development of PA and SCNT porcine embryos by suppressing the activity of CDK1 and a concomitant reduction in the level of MPF.

Quisinostat treatment improves histone acetylation and developmental competence of porcine somatic cell nuclear transfer embryos.

Abnormal epigenetic modifications are considered a main contributing factor to low cloning efficiency. In the present study, we explored the effects of quisinostat, a novel histone deacetylase inhibitor, on blastocyst formation rate in porcine somatic-cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos, on acetylation of histone H3 lysine 9 (AcH3K9), and on expression of POU5F1 protein and apoptosis-related genes BAX and BCL2. Our results showed that treatment with 10 nM quisinostat for 24 hr significantly improved the development of reconstructed embryos compared to the untreated group (19.0 ± 1.6% vs. 10.2 ± 0.9%; p < 0.05). Quisinostat-treated SCNT embryos also possessed significantly increased AcH3K9 at the pseudo-pronuclear stage (p < 0.05), as well as improved immunostaining intensity for POU5F1 at the blastocyst stage (p < 0.05). While no statistical difference in BAX expression was observed, BCL2 transcript abundance was significantly different in the quisinostat-treated compared to the untreated control group. Of the 457 quisinostat-treated cloned embryos transferred into three surrogates, six fetuses developed from the one sow that became pregnant. These findings suggested that quisinostat can regulate gene expression and epigenetic modification, facilitating nuclear reprogramming, and subsequently improving the developmental competence of pig SCNT embryos and blastocyst quality.

CDK inhibitor SU9516 induces tetraploid blastocyst formation from parthenogenetically activated porcine embryos.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of SU9516, a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, on the induction of tetraploid blastocyst formation in porcine embryos by parthenogenetic activation. RESULTS: Karyotype analysis of blastocysts showed that in the SU9516-treatment group 56% were tetraploid, whereas in the cytochalasin B (CB) group 67% were diploid. The level of maturation-promoting factor (MPF) in stimulated embryos treated with 10 µM SU9516 for 4 h was lower than in embryos treated with CB group (103 vs. 131 pg/ml). The mRNA expression levels of Nanog significantly increased in SU9516-treated embryos than CB group. CONCLUSION: SU9516 can induce tetraploid blastocyst formation at high efficiency. SU9516 can significantly influence the in vitro developmental competence of porcine parthenogenetically activated embryos by influencing the level of MPF and the gene related apoptosis and pluripotency.

RepSox improves viability and regulates gene expression in rhesus monkey-pig interspecies cloned embryos.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of the small molecule, RepSox, on the expression of developmentally important genes and the pre-implantation development of rhesus monkey-pig interspecies somatic cell nuclear transfer (iSCNT) embryos. RESULTS: Rhesus monkey cells expressing the monomeric red fluorescent protein 1 which have a normal (42) chromosome complement, were used as donor cells to generate iSCNT embryos. RepSox increased the expression levels of the pluripotency-related genes, Oct4 and Nanog (p < 0.05), but not of Sox2 compared with untreated embryos at the 2-4-cell stage. Expression of the anti-apoptotic gene, Bcl2, and the pro-apoptotic gene Bax was also affected at the 2-4-cell stage. RepSox treatment also increased the immunostaining intensity of Oct4 at the blastocyst stage (p < 0.05). Although the blastocyst developmental rate was higher in the group treated with 25 µM RepSox for 24 h than in the untreated control group (2.4 vs. 1.2%, p > 0.05), this was not significant. CONCLUSION: RepSox can improve the developmental potential of rhesus monkey-pig iSCNT embryos by regulating the expression of pluripotency-related genes.