Methylation-mediated down-regulation of microRNA-497-195 cluster confers osteogenic differentiation in ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament of the spine via ADORA2A.

Aberrant expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) has been associated with spinal ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL). Our initial bioinformatic analysis identified differentially expressed ADORA2A in OPLL and its regulatory miRNAs miR-497 and miR-195. Hence, this study was conducted to clarify the functional relevance of miR-497-195 cluster in OPLL, which may implicate in Adenosine A2A (ADORA2A). PLL tissues were collected from OPLL and non-OPLL patients, followed by quantification of miR-497, miR-195 and ADORA2A expression. The expression of miR-497, miR-195 and/or ADORA2A was altered in posterior longitudinal ligament (PLL) cells, which then were stimulated with cyclic mechanical stress (CMS). We validated that ADORA2A was expressed highly, while miR-497 and miR-195 were down-regulated in PLL tissues of OPLL patients. miR-195 and miR-497 expression in CMS-treated PLL cells was restored by a demethylation reagent 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (AZA). Moreover, expression of miR-195 and miR-497 was decreased by promoting promoter CpG island methylation. ADORA2A was verified as the target of miR-195 and miR-497. Overexpression of miR-195 and miR-497 diminished expression of osteogenic factors in PLL cells by inactivating the cAMP/PKA signaling pathway via down-regulation of ADORA2A. Collectively, miR-497-195 cluster augments osteogenic differentiation of PLL cells by inhibiting ADORA2A-dependent cAMP/PKA signaling pathway.

Accurately estimating the length distributions of genomic micro-satellites by tumor purity deconvolution.

BACKGROUND: Genomic micro-satellites are the genomic regions that consist of short and repetitive DNA motifs. Estimating the length distribution and state of a micro-satellite region is an important computational step in cancer sequencing data pipelines, which is suggested to facilitate the downstream analysis and clinical decision supporting. Although several state-of-the-art approaches have been proposed to identify micro-satellite instability (MSI) events, they are limited in dealing with regions longer than one read length. Moreover, based on our best knowledge, all of these approaches imply a hypothesis that the tumor purity of the sequenced samples is sufficiently high, which is inconsistent with the reality, leading the inferred length distribution to dilute the data signal and introducing the false positive errors. RESULTS: In this article, we proposed a computational approach, named ELMSI, which detected MSI events based on the next generation sequencing technology. ELMSI can estimate the specific length distributions and states of micro-satellite regions from a mixed tumor sample paired with a control one. It first estimated the purity of the tumor sample based on the read counts of the filtered SNVs loci. Then, the algorithm identified the length distributions and the states of short micro-satellites by adding the Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) step to the existing algorithm. After that, ELMSI continued to infer the length distributions of long micro-satellites by incorporating a simplified Expectation Maximization (EM) algorithm with central limit theorem, and then used statistical tests to output the states of these micro-satellites. Based on our experimental results, ELMSI was able to handle micro-satellites with lengths ranging from shorter than one read length to 10kbps. CONCLUSIONS: To verify the reliability of our algorithm, we first compared the ability of classifying the shorter micro-satellites from the mixed samples with the existing algorithm MSIsensor. Meanwhile, we varied the number of micro-satellite regions, the read length and the sequencing coverage to separately test the performance of ELMSI on estimating the longer ones from the mixed samples. ELMSI performed well on mixed samples, and thus ELMSI was of great value for improving the recognition effect of micro-satellite regions and supporting clinical decision supporting. The source codes have been uploaded and maintained at https://github.com/YixuanWang1120/ELMSI for academic use only.

P-Arylation of Dialkyl Phosphites and Secondary Phosphine Oxides with Arynes.

The novel P-arylation of dialkyl phosphites and secondary phosphine oxides with arynes has been achieved. The reactions produce dialkyl arylphosphonates in 71-99% yield and tertiary phosphine oxides in 68-92% yield under mild conditions.

Electrophilic Fluorination of Secondary Phosphine Oxides and Its Application to P-O Bond Construction.

A novel and efficient electrophilic fluorination of secondary phosphine oxides with Selectfluor has been achieved. This transformation provides direct access to phosphoric fluorides in up to 92% yield under mild conditions. In addition, P-O bond construction via a one-pot coupling process of secondary phosphine oxides with water or alcohols in the presence of Selectfluor leads to the formation of phosphinic acids or phosphinates in up to 96% yield.

Copper-Catalyzed Addition of H-P(O) Bonds to Arynes.

An efficient P-arylation of secondary phosphine oxides has been achieved through the ligand-free copper-catalyzed addition of H-P(O) bonds to in situ generated arynes at room temperature. This transformation provides a straightforward route to the formation of the aryl-P bond with wide functional group compatibility, which produces arylphosphine oxides in up to 99% yield.

Hsa-circ-0007292 promotes the osteogenic differentiation of posterior longitudinal ligament cells via regulating SATB2 by sponging miR-508-3p.

Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) is a disorder with multiple pathogenic mechanisms and leads to different degrees of neurological symptoms. Recent studies have revealed that non-coding RNA (ncRNA), including long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs), could influence the development of OPLL. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanisms linking circular RNAs (circRNAs) and the progression of OPLL is still unknown. The current research explored the expression profiles of OPLL-related circRNAs by microarray analysis, and applied qRT-PCR to validate the results. Subsequently, we confirmed the upregulation of hsa_circ_0007292 in OPLL cells by qRT-PCR and validated the circular characteristic of hsa_circ_0007292 by Sanger sequencing. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) unveiled that hsa_circ_0007292 was predominantly located in the cytoplasm. Functionally, gain-of-function and loss-of-function experiments showed that hsa_circ_0007292 promoted the osteogenic differentiation of OPLL cells. Mechanistically, the interaction of hsa_circ_0007292 and miR-508-3p was predicted and validated by bioinformatics analysis, dual-luciferase reporter assays, and Ago2 RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP). Similarly, we validated the correlation between miR-508-3p and SATB2. Furthermore, rescue experiments were performed to prove that hsa_circ_0007292 acted as a sponge for miR-508-3p, and SATB2 was revealed to be the target gene of miR-508-3p. In conclusion, our research shows that hsa_circ_0007292 regulates OPLL progression by the miR-508-3p/SATB2 pathway. Our results indicate that hsa_circ_0007292 can be used as a promising therapeutic target for patients with OPLL.

[Correlation between Expression of CD200 and Regulatory T Cells in Multiple Myeloma and Its Significance in Prognostic Stratification].

OBJECTIVE: To study the correlation between expression of CD200 and regulatory T cells (Tregs) in multiple myeloma(MM) patients and to explore its significance in prognostic stratification. METHODS: CD200 and other immunophenotypes, including CD38, CD138, CD56, CD19, CD20, CD117, cytoplasm light chain Kappa and Lambda in bone marrow samples, and Tregs in peripheral blood were detected by flow cytometry from 78 newly diagnosed MM patients. Serum concentrations of hemoglobin(Hb), ß2 microglobulin (ß2-MG) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were detected, respectively. The new risk stratification of patients was carried out according to international stage system (ISS) and cytogenetic characteristics. The correlation between expression of CD200 and Tregs in MM patients was analyzed and their differences in prognosis were compared. RESULTS: The positive rate of CD200 expression was 71.79% in 78 patients (56/78). The expression of CD200 in sex and age of patients was no significant different. The expression of CD117 in CD200+ group was significantly higher than that of in CD200- group (P=0.032). There was no significant difference in the expression of CD20, CD56 and CD19 between 2 groups. The level of Hb in CD200+ group was significantly lower than that in CD200- group (P=0.035). The level of ß2-MG in CD200+ group was significantly higher than that in CD200- group (P=0.013). There was no significant difference in the level of LDH between 2 groups. In CD200+ group, 17 patients were in stageⅠ, accounting for 58.62% (17/29), 30 patients were in stageⅡ, accounting for 75% (30/40), 9 patients were in stage Ⅲ, accounting for 100% (9/9). With the increase of CD200 expression intensity, the risk of prognostic stratification went up (P=0). The brighter CD200 expressed, the worse the prognosis was. The percentage of Trges in CD200+ group was significantly higher than that of in CD200- group (P=0.043). The content of Tregs was positively correlated with the expression of CD200 (r=0.743, P=0.044). Overall survival in CD200- group was significantly higher than that in CD200+ group (P=0.036). Progression-free survival in CD200- group was a bit higher than that of in CD200+ group, but it wasn't statistically significant. CONCLUSION: The expression of CD200 positively correlates with the percentage of Tregs in MM patients. It is an important factor of poor prognosis and a reliable indicator for the evaluation by clinical efficacy in MM patients.

[Expression and Subcellular Distribution of Costimulatory Molecules B7-H1,B7-H3 and B7-H4 in Human Hematologic Malignancy Cell Lines].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression and subcellular distribution of costimulatory molecules B7-H1, B7-H3 and B7-H4 in human hematologic malignancy cell lines. METHODS: The expression and subcellular distribution of B7-H1, B7-H3 and B7-H4 in 13 human hematologic malignancy cell lines were determined by RT-PCR, qPCR, Western blot and flow cytometry, the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PB MNC) of 12 volunteers were used as control. RESULTS: The mRNA of B7-H1, B7-H3 and B7-H4 was widely expressed in PB MNC and hematologic malignancy cell lines, with a lower level of B7-H4. The mRNA expression of 3 molecules was highest in Maver, Z138, and HL-60, respectively, while among them the B7-H3 and B7-H4 had no expression in CZ1. The nuclear and cytoplasmic protein of 3 costimulatory molecules abnormally overexpressed only in hematologic malignancy cell lines, with the highest level in U937, Z138, and Raji, respectively, while the B7-H3 and B7-H4 had no expression in CZ1. There were differences among mRNA expression, nuclear and cytoplasmic protein expression of 3 molecules in cell lines derived from the same type of tumor, but the differences of expression in mRNA and protein levels were not exactly the same. The B7-H3 expression abundance in membrane localization was higher in U937, Maver and Z138, while the membrane protein of B7-H1 and B7-H4 had no or low expression in 13 cell lines. CONCLUSION: The mRNA expression of costimulatory molecules B7-H1, B7-H3 and B7-H4 can be widely detected. The protein level of 3 costimulatory molecules abnormally overexpressed only in hematologic malignancy cell lines, moreover the subcellular localizations mostly was found in nucleus and cytoplasm, while the membrane protein expresses in low level or had no expression. There are differences among the expression of 3 molecules in cell lines derived from the same type of tumor.

B7-H3 silencing by RNAi inhibits tumor progression and enhances chemosensitivity in U937 cells.

BACKGROUND: The role of B7-H3 in acute monocytic leukemia U937 cells has not been thoroughly investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: B7-H3 knockdown in the U937 cell line was performed using small hairpin (sh)RNA lentivirus transduction. The effects on cell proliferation, cycle, migration, and invasion were investigated by Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, methyl cellulose colony-forming assay, propidium iodide staining, and Transwell assays in vitro. Changes in cell growth inhibition and apoptosis, when combined with chemotherapy drugs, were determined using the Cell Counting Kit-8 and Annexin V-FITC/PI assays. U937 xenograft models were used to assess the effects of B7-H3 on tumorigenicity and the therapeutic effect of B7-H3 knockdown in combination with chemotherapy drugs in vivo. RESULTS: Downregulation of B7-H3 significantly decreased U937 cell growth and colony-forming ability. The mean inhibition rate of tumor growth with B7-H3 knockdown was 59.4%, and the expression of both Ki-67 and PCNA in xenografts was significantly reduced. After B7-H3 silencing, the U937 cell cycle was arrested at the G0/G1 phase. The cell migration rate of B7-H3 knockdown cells was reduced more than fivefold, and invasion capacity decreased by 86.7%. B7-H3 RNAi profoundly increased the antitumor effect of chemotherapy in vitro and in vivo. On day 19, inhibition rates of tumor growth in B7-H3 shRNA combined with idarubicin, cytarabine, and idarubicin plus cytarabine were 70.5%, 80.0%, and 90.0%, respectively (P=0.006, P=0.004, and P=0.016, respectively). CONCLUSION: B7-H3 may promote U937 cell progression, and shRNA targeting B7-H3 significantly enhances sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drugs. These results may provide new insight into the function of B7-H3 and a promising therapeutic approach targeting B7-H3 in acute monocytic leukemia.

B7-H3 silencing inhibits tumor progression of mantle cell lymphoma and enhances chemosensitivity.

B7-H3 (CD276), known as a member of B7 immunoregulatory family, is a type I transmembrane glycoprotein aberrantly expressed in numerous types of cancer and associated with poor prognosis. However, the role of B7-H3 in oncogenesis and chemosensitivity of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) remains unknown. We determined the effects of downregulating B7-H3 expression on tumor progression and the sensitivity of chemotherapeutic drug in mantle cell lymphoma. B7-H3 knockdown was performed using lentivirus transduction in the Maver and Z138 mantle cell lymphoma cell lines, respectively. The effects of B7-H3 on cell proliferation, cycle, migration and invasion were investigated by CCK-8 assay, methyl cellulose colony forming assay, PI staining, and Transwell assays in vitro. By establishing Maver and Z138 xenograft models, the effects of B7-H3 on tumorigenicity were observed, and Ki-67 and PCNA was detected by immunohistochemistry. The downregulation of B7-H3 significantly decreased tumor proliferation in MCL in vitro and in vivo. In the B7-H3 knockdown groups of Maver and Z138 xenograft models, the mean inhibition rate of tumor growth was 59.1 and 65.0% (p=0.010 and 0.003), and the expression of both Ki-67 and PCNA were significantly lower, respectively. After B7-H3 silencing, the cell cycles of Maver and Z138 were both arrested at G0/G1 phase, and the cell migration rates and invasion capacity were decreased as well. Moreover, the impacts of B7-H3 RNAi on the antitumor effect of chemotherapy drugs were determined with CCK-8 and Annexin V-FITC/PI assays in vitro and with xenograft models in vivo. The silencing of B7-H3 increased the sensitivity of Maver and Z138 cells to rituximab and bendamustine and enhanced the drug-induced apoptosis, respectively. Our study demonstrates for the first time that B7-H3 promotes mantle cell lymphoma progression and B7-H3 knockdown significantly enhances the chemosensitivity. This may provide a new therapeutic approach to mantle cell lymphoma.