Long Non-Coding RNA MALAT1 Protects Against Spinal Cord Injury via Suppressing microRNA-125b-5p Mediated Microglial M1 Polarization, Neuroinflammation, and Neural Apoptosis.

Our previous studies have discovered that long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) MALAT1 and its target microRNA-125b-5p (miR-125b-5p) are implicated in neurological diseases via regulating neuroinflammation and neuronal injury. This study aimed to further explore the relationship between lncRNA MALAT1 and miR-125b-5p, as well as their effect on microglial activation, neuroinflammation, and neural apoptosis in spinal cord injury (SCI). Primary microglia from Sprague Dawley rats were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Then, microglia were transfected with lncRNA MALAT1 overexpression or knock-down adenovirus-associated virus with or without miR-125b-5p mimic. The culture medium of microglia was incubated with primary neurons. SCI rats were established for in vivo validation. LncRNA MALAT1 expression was reduced by LPS treatment in a dose-dependent manner. LncRNA MALAT1 overexpression suppressed the microglial M1 polarization (decreased iNOS but increased ARG1), neuroinflammation (declined PTGS2, TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6), and microglia-induced neural apoptosis (lower TUNEL positive cells and C-caspase3 but higher BCL2) under LPS treatment; its knock-down displayed the opposite trend. Moreover, lncRNA MALAT1 directly bound to and negatively regulated miR-125b-5p. MiR-125b-5p mimic promoted microglial M1 polarization, neuroinflammation, and microglia-induced neural apoptosis following LPS treatment; also, it could attenuate the effect of lncRNA MALAT1. Further in vivo study displayed that lncRNA MALAT1 overexpression elevated the Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan motor function score and improved neural injury. Also, in vivo validation indicated a similar effect of lncRNA MALAT1 on microglial polarization and neuroinflammation as in vitro. LncRNA MALAT1 improves SCI recovery via miR-125b-5p mediated microglial M1 polarization, neuroinflammation, and neural apoptosis.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the Hainan Island Shrew, Crocidura wuchihensis.

The Hainan Island Shrew Crocidura wuchihensis is a small-bodied insectivore species belonging to the Soricidae family. In this study, we determined its the complete mitochondrial genome. The whole mitochondrial genome was found to be 17,253 bp in length and comprises 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNAs, 2 rRNAs and a control region. The base composition of the C. wuchihensis total mitogenome as follows: A, 32.8%; G, 13.0%; T, 32.1%; and C, 22.1%, with an A + T content of 64.9%. Notably, a tandem repeat sequence (5'-CAC ACG TGT ACA-3') was identified in the control region with 24 copy numbers. Additionally, phylogenetic analysis indicated that C. wuchihensis is closely related to Crocidura tanakae and Crocidura dongyangjiangensis based on the concatenated sequences of the 13 protein-coding genes. The characterization of the shrew's mitogenome will provide the foundation for its use in population genomics and systematic studies of Soricidae.

Microglia/macrophages require vitamin D signaling to restrain neuroinflammation and brain injury in a murine ischemic stroke model.

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with worse clinical outcomes after ischemic stroke; nevertheless, the pathophysiological mechanisms remain largely unexplored. In this study, we characterized the molecular mechanisms of how vitamin D signaling modulated stroke progression in male mouse ischemia-reperfusion stroke models. We found that vitamin D receptor (VDR) exhibited a predominant upregulation in peri-infarct microglia/macrophages following cerebral ischemia. Conditional Vdr inactivation in microglia/macrophages markedly augmented infarct volumes and neurological deficits. VDR-deficient microglia/macrophages exhibited a more primed proinflammatory phenotype with substantial secretion of TNF-α and IFN-γ. These inflammatory cytokines further enhanced CXCL10 release from endothelial cells and blood-brain barrier disruption, and ultimately infiltration of peripheral T lymphocytes. Notably, blocking TNF-α and IFN-γ significantly ameliorated stroke phenotypes in Vdr conditional knockout mice. Collectively, VDR signaling in microglia/macrophages plays a crucial role in restraining ischemia-elicited neuroinflammation and stroke progression. Our findings delineate a novel mechanism underlying the association between vitamin D deficiency and poor stroke outcomes, and underline the significance of maintaining a functional vitamin D signaling in the management of acute ischemic stroke.

The role of A-kinase interacting protein 1 in regulating progression and stemness as well as indicating the prognosis in glioblastoma.

BACKGROUND: A-kinase interacting protein 1 (AKIP1) is recently implicated in the pathogenesis of several solid tumors, while its role in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is largely unknown. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate the effect of AKIP1 on GBM cell malignant behaviors, stemness, and its underlying molecular mechanisms. METHODS: U-87 MG and A172 cells were transfected with control or AKIP1 overexpression plasmid; control or AKIP1 siRNA plasmid. Then cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, CD133+ cell proportion, and sphere formation assays were performed. Furthermore, RNA-Seq was performed in U-87 MG cells. Besides, AKIP1 expression was detected in 25 GBM and 25 low-grade glioma (LGG) tumor samples. RESULTS: AKIP1 was increased in several GBM cell lines compared to the control cell line. After transfections, it was found that AKIP1 overexpression increased cell invasion, CD133+ cell proportion, and sphere formation ability while less affecting cell proliferation or cell apoptosis in U-87 MG and A172 cells. Moreover, AKIP1 siRNA achieved the opposite effect in these cells, except that it inhibited cell proliferation but induced cell apoptosis to some extent. Subsequent RNA-Seq assay showed several critical carcinogenetic pathways, such as PI3K/AKT, Notch, EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance, Ras, ErbB, mTOR pathways, etc. were potentially related to the function of AKIP1 in U-87 MG cells. Clinically, AKIP1 expression was higher in GBM tissues than in LGG tissues, which was also correlated with the poor prognosis of GBM to some degree. CONCLUSIONS: AKIP1 regulates the malignant behaviors and stemness of GBM via regulating multiple carcinogenetic pathways.

The clinical features of combined central and peripheral demyelination and antibodies against the node of Ranvier.

BACKGROUND: Combined central and peripheral demyelination (CCPD) is a disease of inflammatory demyelination that affects central and peripheral nerves simultaneously or temporally separated. OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the clinical characteristics and the existence of antinodal/paranodal antibodies in patients with CCPD. METHODS: We reviewed the clinical manifestations, laboratory tests, electrophysiological examinations, neuroimaging findings, treatment, and prognosis of 31 patients with CCPD. Using a live cell-based assay, we tested antinodal/paranodal antibodies. RESULTS: The most common symptoms were motor weakness (83.3%), hyporeflexia (63.3%), and sphincter disturbance (58.1%). In total, 16.6% of patients had impaired vision symptoms, whereas 33.3% of patients had abnormal visual-evoked potentials (VEPs). A total of 21.1% (4/19) of patients were positive for anti-AQP4 (aquaporin 4) antibodies, 20.0% (2/10) of patients were positive for anti-NF155 (neurofascin-155) antibodies, and 10.0% (1/10) of patients were positive for anti-MAG (myelin-associated glycoprotein) antibodies. The effective rates of intravenous corticosteroids, intravenous immunoglobulins, and rituximab were 72.2%, 37.5%, and 100%, respectively. At the illness peak, 75% of patients with CCPD had an mRS (modified Rankin Scale) score of 4 or greater. In remission, 37.5% had an mRS score of 4 or greater. CONCLUSION: The clinical manifestations of patients with CCPD are highly heterogeneous. We recommend testing antinodal/paranodal antibodies for patients with CCPD.

USP47-Mediated Deubiquitination and Stabilization of TCEA3 Attenuates Pyroptosis and Apoptosis of Colorectal Cancer Cells Induced by Chemotherapeutic Doxorubicin.

The ubiquitin-proteasome system regulates a variety of cellular processes including growth, differentiation and apoptosis. While E1, E2, and E3 are responsible for the conjugation of ubiquitin to substrates, deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) reverse the process to remove ubiquitin and edit ubiquitin chains, which have profound effects on substrates' degradation, localization, and activities. In the present study, we found that the deubiquitinating enzyme USP47 was markedly decreased in primary colorectal cancers (CRC). Its reduced expression was associated with shorter disease-free survival of CRC patients. In cultured CRC cells, knockdown of USP47 increased pyroptosis and apoptosis induced by chemotherapeutic doxorubicin. We found that USP47 was able to bind with transcription elongation factor a3 (TCEA3) and regulated its deubiquitination and intracellular level. While ectopic expression of USP47 increased cellular TCEA3 and resistance to doxorubicin, the effect was markedly attenuated by TCEA3 knockdown. Further analysis showed that the level of pro-apoptotic Bax was regulated by TCEA3. These results indicated that the USP47-TCEA3 axis modulates cell pyroptosis and apoptosis and may serve as a target for therapeutic intervention in CRC.

Gene-Based Tests of a Genome-Wide Association Study Dataset Highlight Novel Multiple Sclerosis Risk Genes.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disorder influenced by genetic and environmental factors. Many studies have provided insights into genetic factors' contribution to MS via large-scale genome-wide association study (GWAS) datasets. However, genetic variants identified to date do not adequately explain genetic risks for MS. This study hypothesized that novel MS risk genes could be identified by analyzing the MS-GWAS dataset using gene-based tests. We analyzed a GWAS dataset consisting of 9,772 MS cases and 17,376 healthy controls of European descent. We performed gene-based tests of 464,357 autosomal single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) using two methods (PLINK and VEGAS2) and identified 28 shared genes satisfied p-value < 4.56 × 10-6. In further gene expression analysis, ten of the 28 genes were significantly differentially expressed in the MS case-control gene expression omnibus (GEO) database. GALC and HLA-DOB showed the most prominent differences in gene expression (two- and three-fold, respectively) between MS patients and healthy controls. In conclusion, our results reveal more information about MS hereditary characteristics and provide a basis for further studies.

Taurine Attenuates the Hypotaurine-Induced Progression of CRC via ERK/RSK Signaling.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignant tumors, and previous metabolomics work has demonstrated great promise in identifying specific small molecules of tumor phenotype. In the present study, we analyzed the metabolites of resected tissues through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and found that the concentration of taurine in CRC tissues diminished whereas the concentration of hypotaurine increased. The results in vitro demonstrated that taurine significantly suppressed cellular proliferation, metastasis, and colony formation whereas it induced apoptosis in CRC cells. Furthermore, taurine regulated the expression levels of epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT)-associated genes in a dose-dependent manner. Taurine also alleviated hypotaurine-induced CRC progression, which was linked to the inhibition of the ERK/RSK-signaling pathway and diminution in intracellular hypotaurine. Taurine additionally attenuated hypotaurine-induced tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. Patients with CRC exhibited lower levels of serum taurine, suggesting that taurine might be a promising biomarker reflecting a poor prognosis in CRC. Collectively, our results demonstrated that taurine-attenuated, hypotaurine-induced CRC progression provides a potential target for CRC therapy.

Ubiquitin specific peptidase 5 regulates colorectal cancer cell growth by stabilizing Tu translation elongation factor.

Ubiquitin specific peptidase 5 (USP5) is a ubiquitous expressed deubiquitinating enzyme (DUB). It has been shown involved in DNA repair, apoptosis, inflammation, and tumor cell growth. However, the function and molecular mechanism of USP5 in colorectal cancer (CRC) are still unclear. In the present study, we asked how it affected the growth of colorectal cancer cells. Methods: A shRNA-based high-content screening was performed to identify DUBs affecting the growth of CRC cells. CCK-8 assay and xenografts were used to assess CRC cell growth, survival and tumorigenesis. RT-qPCR, immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry were carried out to quantitate USP5 expression in CRC tissues and cell lines. Immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry analysis were performed to identify USP5-interacting proteins. Cycloheximide chase was performed to assess Tu translation elongation factor (TUFM) stability. Dual luciferase reporter assay was utilized for USP5 promoter analysis. Results: We found that USP5 was highly expressed in a group of primary CRC tissues, and the increased USP5 was correlated with clinical stages and shorter overall survival. While USP5 knockdown effectively inhibited CRC cell growth, overexpressed USP5 promoted the growth of CRC cells and made them more resistant to doxorubicin (DOX). TUFM was discovered as a substrate of USP5. USP5 deubiquitinated TUFM and increased its level in CRC cells. Enforced expression of TUFM was able to alleviate the growth inhibition induced by USP5 knockdown. Further analyses showed that EBF transcription factor 1 (EBF1) was a major regulator for USP5 transcription, and DOX inhibited EBF1-USP5-TUFM axis in CRC cells. Conclusions: USP5 was required for CRC cells and promoted their growth and resistance to chemotherapeutics. TUFM was a USP5 deubiquitinating substrate that mediated the cellular effects of USP5. The transcription of USP5 was regulated by EBF1. Thus, targeting EBF1-USP5-TUFM axis is a potential novel strategy for CRC treatment.

Taurine Transporter Regulates Adipogenic Differentiation of Human Adipose-Derived Stem Cells through Affecting Wnt/ß-catenin Signaling Pathway.

Increased adipocytes are associated with obesity and many human disorders including cancers. To further understand the molecular mechanisms of adipogenesis, transcriptome sequencing was performed to find genes involved in the adipogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs). The mRNA of taurine transporter (TauT, also known as SLC6A6) was found significantly upregulated in hASCs undergoing differentiation. TauT expression was also markedly increased in fat tissues from obese mice induced by high fat diet or genetic mutations (ob/ob and db/db mice). In vitro, downregulation of TauT attenuated effectively the adipogenic differentiation of hASCs, and TauT overexpression promoted the formation of adipocytes. Among the molecules transported by TauT, hypotaurine and ß-alanine promoted adipocyte formation, whereas taurine inhibited the process. Moreover, the inhibitory effect of TauT knockdown on hASCs differentiation was largely reversed by hypotaurine and ß-alanine through promoting the downregulation of ß-catenin. These results indicated that TauT regulate adipocyte formation through transported amino acids and may serve as a target for therapeutic intervention of obesity.

Overexpression of CMTM7 inhibits cell growth and migration in liver cancer.

Chemokine-like factor (CKLF)-like, MAL and related proteins for vesicle trafficking and membrane link (MARVEL) transmembrane domain-containing family proteins (CMTMs) have significant roles in the immune system, in male reproduction, as well as in tumorigenesis. Previous studies have shown that CMTM family member 7 (CMTM7) was broadly expressed in various normal tissues, but not in lung, gastric, esophageal, pancreas, and cervix cancers. To explore its relationship with liver cancer, we examined the expression of CMTM7 in liver cancers and its correlation with clinical and pathological conditions. We found that CMTM7 expression was markedly reduced in liver cancer tissues, and negatively correlated with TNM staging and tumor metastasis. In vitro studies showed that enforced expression of CMTM7 inhibited the cell growth and migration of liver cancer cells. Further analysis revealed that CMTM7 suppressed AKT signaling and induced cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase in the liver cancer cells, likely as the consequent of decreased levels of cyclin D1, cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4), and CDK6, and increased p27 expression. Thus, CMTM7 functions as a tumor suppressor in liver cancer through suppressing cell cycle progression.

Inhibition of Ubiquitin Specific Protease 1 Sensitizes Colorectal Cancer Cells to DNA-Damaging Chemotherapeutics.

Mutations and altered expression of deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) have been found associated with many human diseases including cancers. In this study, Ubiquitin specific protease 1 (USP1) expression was found significantly increased in some colorectal cancers (CRC). The elevated USP1 level was associated with short overall survival of patients and with advanced stages of cancers. In cultured CRC cells, knockdown of USP1 induced growth arrest at G2/M of cell cycle and reduced the expression of anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Mcl-1. Its knockdown also led to reduction of DNA-repair related substrates FANCD2 and ID1. Further investigations found that small molecular inhibitor of USP1 ML323 sensitized CRC cells to DNA-targeting chemotherapeutics, including doxorubicin, TOPI/II inhibitors, and PARP inhibitor, but not to 5-Fu. These results indicate that USP1 plays a critical in colorectal cancer cell survival and is a promising target for anti-colorectal cancer chemotherapy. Targeting USP1 may represent an effective strategy to regulate the DNA-repairing system.

TGFBR-IDH1-Cav1 axis promotes TGF-ß signalling in cancer-associated fibroblast.

TGF-ß signalling plays an important role in fibroblasts activation and tumour progression. Here, we report that the TGFBR-IDH1-Cav1 axis promotes TGF- ß signalling in fibroblasts. Our data demonstrated that IDH1 was downregulated by TGF-ß signalling in fibroblasts, and downregulation of IDH1 increased cellular concentration of α-ketoglutarate (α-KG) by accelerating glutamine metabolization. Interestingly, α-KG suppressed Cav1 expression through reducing the trimethylation of histone H3K4. Furthermore, Cav1 downregulation inhibited TGFBR protein degradation. In turn, the activated TGFBR promoted TGF-ß signalling. These findings demonstrated that metabolic enzyme IDH1 regulates TGF-ß signalling by feedback mechanism through α-KG and TGFBR-IDH1-Cav1 axis is important for TGF-ß signalling.

Nuclear Export of Ubiquitinated Proteins Determines the Sensitivity of Colorectal Cancer to Proteasome Inhibitor.

Although proteasome inhibitors such as bortezomib had significant therapeutic effects in multiple myeloma and mantel cell lymphoma, they exhibited minimal clinical activity as a monotherapy for solid tumors, including colorectal cancer. We found in this study that proteasome inhibition induced a remarkable nuclear exportation of ubiquitinated proteins. Inhibition of CRM1, the nuclear export carrier protein, hampered protein export and synergistically enhanced the cytotoxic action of bortezomib on colon cancer cells containing wild-type p53, which underwent G2-M cell-cycle block and apoptosis. Further analysis indicated that tumor suppressor p53 was one of the proteins exported from nuclei upon proteasome inhibition, and in the presence of CRM1 inhibitor KPT330, nuclear p53, and expression of its target genes were increased markedly. Moreover, knockdown of p53 significantly reduced the synergistic cytotoxic action of bortezomib and KPT330 on p53+/+ HCT116 cells. In mice, KPT330 markedly augmented the antitumor action of bortezomib against HCT116 xenografts as well as patient-derived xenografts that harbored functional p53. These results indicate that nuclear p53 is a major mediator in the synergistic antitumor effect of bortezomib and KPT330, and provides a rationale for the use of proteasome inhibitor together with nuclear export blocker in the treatment of colorectal cancer. It is conceivable that targeting nuclear exportation may serve as a novel strategy to overcome resistance and raise chemotherapeutic efficacy, especially for the drugs that activate the p53 system. Mol Cancer Ther; 16(4); 717-28. ©2016 AACR.

Metabolic reprogramming of cancer-associated fibroblasts by IDH3α downregulation.

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) provide critical metabolites for tumor growth and undergo metabolic reprogramming to support glycolysis. However, the molecular mechanisms responsible for this change remain unclear. Here, we report that TGF-ß1- or PDGF-induced CAFs switch from oxidative phosphorylation to aerobic glycolysis. We identify downregulation of isocitrate dehydrogenase 3α (IDH3α) as a marker for this switch. Furthermore, miR-424 downregulates IDH3α during CAF formation. Downregulation of IDH3α decreases the effective level of α-ketoglutarate (α-KG) by reducing the ratio of α-KG to fumarate and succinate, resulting in PHD2 inhibition and HIF-1α protein stabilization. The accumulation of HIF-1α, in turn, promotes glycolysis by increasing the uptake of glucose, upregulating expression of glycolytic enzymes under normoxic conditions, and inhibiting oxidative phosphorylation by upregulating NDUFA4L2. CAFs from tumor samples exhibit low levels of IDH3α, and overexpression of IDH3α prevents transformation of fibroblasts into CAFs. Our studies reveal IDH3α to be a critical metabolic switch in CAFs.

MiR-21/Smad 7 signaling determines TGF-ß1-induced CAF formation.

How TGF-ß1-mediated signaling pathways are finely tuned to orchestrate the generation of carcinoma-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) is poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that miR-21 and the signaling of its target Smad 7 determine TGF-ß1-induced CAF formation. In primary cultured fibroblasts, mature miR-21 increases after TGF-ß1 treatment, whereas the Smad 7 protein level decreases. MiR-21 binds to the 3' UTR of Smad7 mRNA and inhibits its translation, rather than causing its degradation. Most importantly, Smad 7 is bound to Smad 2 and 3, which are thought to competitively bind to TGFBR1, and prevents their activation upon TGF-ß1 stimulation. The depletion of miR-21 or the overexpression of Smad 7 blocks TGF-ß1-induced CAF formation, whereas the overexpression of miR-21 or the depletion of Smad 7 promotes CAF formation, even without TGF-ß1 stimulation. Collectively, these findings clearly demonstrate that miR-21 and Smad7 are critical regulators of TGF-ß1 signaling during the induction of CAF formation.