[Retracted] Long non­coding RNA KCNQ1OT1 promotes nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell cisplatin resistance via the miR­454/USP47 axis.

Following the publication of this paper, it was drawn to the Editor's attention by a concerned reader that the colony formation assay data shown in Figs. 4C and 6D and the Transwell migration and invasion assay data shown in Figs. 4D, 6E and 6F were strikingly similar to data appearing in different form in other research articles written by different authors at different research institutes that had either already been published, or were submitted for publication at around the same time. Owing to the fact that contentious data in the above article had already been published elsewhere prior to its submission to International Journal of Molecular Medicine, the Editor has decided that this paper should be retracted from the Journal. The authors were asked for an explanation to account for these concerns, but the Editorial Office did not receive a reply. The Editor apologizes to the readership for any inconvenience caused. [International Journal of Molecular Medicine 47: 54, 2021; DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2021.4887].

The interactions of paclitaxel with tumour microenvironment.

Today, it is well-known that the interactions and secretion within the tumour are crucial to consider for cancer therapy. Some novel cancer therapy modalities such as immunotherapy or tumour vaccination therapy work based on the control of interactions within the tumour microenvironment (TME). It has been revealed that anti-cancer drugs or radiotherapy can modulate some interactions in favour of cancer therapy. However, they may induce some mechanisms to increase the resistance of cancer cells to therapy. Paclitaxel is known as the first approved herbal derived chemotherapy drug. Although the main known anti-cancer effect of paclitaxel is the inhibition of the cell cycle, today, it has been well known that paclitaxel may suppress the tumour via modulating several interactions in TME. Furthermore, paclitaxel may increase the expression of some tumour resistance drivers. This review aims to discuss the interactions within TME following treatment with paclitaxel. The effects of paclitaxel on the anti-tumour immunity, immunosuppressive cells, hypoxia, and also angiogenesis will be discussed. The targeting of these interactions may be interesting to increase therapy efficiency using the combination modalities.

Ultrasensitive Detection of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma-Related MiRNA through Garland Rolling Circle Amplification Integrated Catalytic Hairpin Assembly.

MiRNA is reported to be closely related to nasopharyngeal carcinoma and has the potential to be a biomarker for the early diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. However, the detection of miRNAs remains to be improved, given their complexity and low sensitivity. Herein, we propose here a novel miRNA detection method through the integration of garland RCA and CHA. In detail, the method is composed of two important signal amplification processes. For the first signal amplification process, the target miRNA could initiate garland RCA and then generate a nicking site on the products with the assistance of Nb.BbvCI enzymes. Afterward, a CHA process is induced with a designed H probe through the two signal amplification processes; the method exhibited a much-improved sensitivity. At last, we believe that this method is a promising approach capable of being applied in screening, diagnosing, and prognosticating multiple diseases.

Long non­coding RNA KCNQ1OT1 promotes nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell cisplatin resistance via the miR­454/USP47 axis.

Long non­coding RNAs serve an essential role in drug resistance in various types of cancer, including lung, breast and bladder cancer. The present study aimed to investigate whether KCNQ1 opposite strand/antisense transcript 1 (KCNQ1OT1) was associated with cisplatin (DDP) resistance in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). KCNQ1OT1, microRNA (miR)­454 and ubiquitin specific peptidase 47 (USP47) expression levels were measured via reverse transcription­quantitative PCR. 5­8F/DDP and SUNE­1/DDP cell viability and chemosensitivity were assessed by performing Cell Counting Kit­8 assays. Colony forming and Transwell assays were conducted to assess the effect of the KCNQ1OT1/miR­454/USP47 axis on DDP resistance in NPC cells. The association between miR­454 and KCNQ1OT1 or USP47 was verified via bioinformatics analysis, dual­luciferase reporter assays and RIP assays. KCNQ1OT1 and USP47 expression levels were significantly upregulated, whereas miR­454 expression levels were significantly downregulated in DDP­resistant NPC cells compared with parental NPC cells. KCNQ1OT1 knockdown promoted chemosensitivity in DDP­resistant NPC cells (5­8F/DDP and SUNE­1/DDP), as indicated by significantly decreased cell proliferation, migration and invasion in the short hairpin RNA (sh)KCNQ1OT1 group compared with the sh­negative control (NC) group. Moreover, miR­454 was identified as a target of KCNQ1OT1. KCNQ1OT1 overexpression significantly reversed miR­454 overexpression­mediated effects on NPC cell viability and DDP resistance. Furthermore, the results indicated that miR­454 directly targeted USP47. Compared with the shNC group, USP47 knockdown significantly suppressed NPC cell viability and DDP resistance, which was significantly reversed by co­transfection with miR­454 inhibitor. Furthermore, compared with the shNC group, KCNQ1OT1 knockdown significantly downregulated USP47 expression, which was significantly counteracted by miR­454 knockdown. Collectively, the results of the present study indicated that KCNQ1OT1 enhanced DDP resistance in NPC cells via the miR­454/USP47 axis, suggesting a potential therapeutic target for patients with DDP­resistant NPC.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma related miRNA detection through a DSN enzyme assisted tetrahedral probe for more accurate prognosis.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a pivotal role in cellular functions and in the development and progression of cancer. Precise quantification of miRNAs from different clinical samples is a challenging but necessary endeavor that is largely neglected by many emerging fluorescence technologies. Herein, we propose here a novel miRNA detection method through a designed tetrahedral probe and DSN enzyme for attached signal amplification. The highlights of the method are calculated as: (i) the tetrahedral probe induced a much higher transfection efficiency than normal probes; (ii) the DSN enzyme-based cleavage ensures amplification and thus leads to a high detection sensitivity. In all, we believe that the proposed method could greatly improve the sensitivity of intracellular miRNA imaging methods and contribute to the fundamental research and prognosis of cancer.

Long Non-Coding RNA DLEU1 Up-Regulates BIRC6 Expression by Competitively Sponging miR-381-3p to Promote Cisplatin Resistance in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Cisplatin (DDP) resistance has become an obstacle to chemotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients. Recent evidences indicate that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in tumorigenesis and chemoresistance. However, the potential role of lncRNAs in NPC progression remains largely unknown. METHODS: First, lncRNA expression profiling in NPC was performed via microarray analysis. To explore the involvement of DLEU1 in DDP resistance, loss-of-function experiments were employed in vitro and in vivo. Bioinformatics analysis, luciferase reporter assay, qRT-PCR, and Western blot assays were used to investigate the underlying mechanisms. RESULTS: Here, we identified 153 differentially expressed lncRNAs. Among them, DLEU1 was remarkably up-regulated in NPC tissues and associated with worse outcome. Knock-down of DLEU1 could sensitize NPC cells to DDP in vitro and in vivo. Further investigations revealed that DLEU1 positively regulated BIRC6 expression via its competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) activity on miR-381-3p. We also observed that BIRC6 overexpression or miR-381-3p silence could significantly reverse DLEU1-dependent DDP resistance. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that DLEU1 acts as an oncogene to promote DDP resistance and BIRC6 expression in NPC through interacting with miR-381-3p, which may help to develop new strategy against NPC chemoresistance.

A novel metallothionein gene from a mangrove plant Kandelia candel.

A new metallothionein (MT) gene was cloned from Kandelia candel, a mangrove plant with constitutional tolerance to heavy metals, by rapid amplification of cDNA ends and named KMT, which is composed of two exons and one intron. The full length of KMT cDNA was 728 bp including 121 bp 5' noncoding domain, 240 bp open reading frame and 384 bp 3' termination. The coding region of KMT represented a putative 79 amino acid protein with a molecular weight of 7.75 kDa. At each of the amino- and carboxy-terminal of the putative protein, cysteine residues were arranged in Cys-Cys, Cys-X-Cys and Cys-X-X-Cys, indicating that the putative protein was a novel type 2 MT. Sequence and homology analysis showed the KMT protein sequence shared more than 60 % homology with other plant type 2 MT-like protein genes. At amino acid level, the KMT was shown homology with the MT of Quercus suber (83 %), of Ricinus communis (81 %) and of Arabidopsis thaliana (64 %). Function studies using protease-deficient Escherichia coli strain BL21 Star ™(DE3) confirmed the functional nature of this KMT gene in sequestering both essential (Zn) and non-essential metals (Cd and Hg) and the E. coli BL21 with KMT can live in 1,000 µmol/L Zn, 120 µmol/L Hg, and 2,000 µmol/L Cd. The information could provide more details of the causative molecular and biochemical mechanisms (including heavy metal sequestration) of the KMT in K. candel or a scientific basis for marine heavy-metal environment remediation with K. candel. This study also provides a great significance of protecting mangrove species and mangrove ecosystem.

Ecological environment changes in Daya Bay, China, from 1982 to 2004.

Data collected from 12 marine monitoring stations in Daya Bay from 1982 to 2004 reveal a substantial change in the ecological environment of this region. The average N/P ratio increased from 1.377 in 1985 to 49.09 in 2004. Algal species changed from 159 species of 46 genera in 1982 to 126 species of 44 genera in 2004. Major zooplankton species went from 46 species in 1983 to 36 species in 2004. The annual mean biomass of benthic animals was recorded at 123.10 g m(-2) in 1982 and 126.68 g m(-2) in 2004. Mean biomass and species of benthic animals near nuclear power plants ranged from 317.9 g m(-2) in 1991 to 45.24 g m(-2) in 2004 and from 250 species in 1991 to 177 species in 2004. A total of 12-19 species of hermatypic corals and 13 species of mangrove plants were observed in Daya Bay from 1984 to 2002.

Effect of heavy metal stress on antioxidative enzymes and lipid peroxidation in leaves and roots of two mangrove plant seedlings (Kandelia candel and Bruguiera gymnorrhiza).

The effects of multiple heavy metal stress on the activity of antioxidative enzymes and lipid peroxidation were studied in leaves and roots of two mangrove plants, Kandelia candel and Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, grown under control (10 per thousand NaCl nutrient solution) or five levels of multiple heavy metal stress (10 per thousand NaCl nutrient solution containing different concentration of Pb2+, Cd2+, and Hg2+). Leaves and roots of control and heavy metal-stressed plants were harvested after two months. In leaves of heavy metal-stressed plants superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) activities fluctuated in different stress levels compared to the control, while catalase (CAT) activity increased with stress levels in K. candel, but remained unchanged in leaves of B. gymnorrhiza. In comparison with the control, the dynamic tendency of SOD, CAT, and POD activities in roots of heavy metal-stressed plants all ascended, and then declined. The increase in enzyme activities demonstrated that K. candel is more tolerant to heavy metals than B. gymnorrhiza. Lipid peroxidation was enhanced only in leaves of heavy metal-stressed B. gymnorrhiza. These results indicate that in heavy-metal stress antioxidative activities may play an important role in K. candel and B. gymnorrhiza and that cell membrane in leaves and roots of K. candel have greater stability than those of B. gymnorrhiza. For pollution monitoring purposes, POD activity in roots and leaves maybe serve as a biomarker of heavy metal stress in K. candel, while lipid peroxidation maybe serve as biomarker in B. gymnorrhiza.

A novel triterpene from Ceriops tagal.

A novel lupane derivative 3beta-(E)-feruloyllupeol has been isolated from the embryo of Ceriops tagal. The structure of the new triterpene was determined on the basis of spectral and chemical studies.