Phosphorylation: new star of pathogenesis and treatment in steatotic liver disease.

Steatotic liver disease poses a serious threat to human health and has emerged as one of the most significant burdens of chronic liver disease worldwide. Currently, the research mechanism is not clear, and there is no specific targeted drug for direct treatment. Phosphorylation is widely regarded as the most common type of protein modification, closely linked to steatotic liver disease in previous studies. However, there is no systematic review to clarify the relationship and investigate from the perspective of phosphorylation. Phosphorylation has been found to mainly regulate molecule stability, affect localization, transform molecular function, and cooperate with other protein modifications. Among them, adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), serine/threonine kinase (AKT), and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-kB) are considered the core mechanisms in steatotic liver disease. As to treatment, lifestyle changes, prescription drugs, and herbal ingredients can alleviate symptoms by influencing phosphorylation. It demonstrates the significant role of phosphorylation as a mechanism occurrence and a therapeutic target in steatotic liver disease, which could be a new star for future exploration.

Targeting the gut microbiota to investigate the mechanism of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 1201 in negating colitis aggravated by a high-salt diet.

High-salt diet (HSD) affects the composition and function of the intestinal microbiota and cause health problems. This study confirmed that HSD aggravates dextran sulphate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis by changing the relative abundance of the gut microbiota, activating the NF-κB pathway, and up-regulating the mRNA levels of inflammatory factors. We explored the effect of L. plantarum 1201 in negating DSS-induced ulcerative colitis, which is aggravated by HSD for the first time. Results show that L. plantarum 1201 rebuilt the balance of intestinal flora by decreasing the ratio of Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes and increasing the relative abundance of Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus and butyric-producing bacteria. Moreover, L. plantarum 1201 inhibited the up-regulation of inflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-1ß, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-22, and IFN-γ) mRNA levels, increased colonic tight junction protein (ZO-1, ocludin, and claudin-3) expression, and increased serum levels of beneficial metabolites, including alpha-tocopherol (α-T) and D-mannose. By reconstructing an animal model of colitis, we further discovered that α-T and D-mannose inhibited the NF-κB pathway, improved tissue injury, and decreased the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-1ß, TNF-α, and IL-6). This study proves for the first time that L. plantarum 1201 attenuates high-salt-aggravated colitis by increasing the serum concentrations of endogenic D-mannose in mice serum and inhibiting the consumption of α-T through intestinal flora. Therefore, regulating the gut microbiota is a potential treatment for high-salt-aggravated colitis.

Enzymatic synthesis of novel isobavachalcone glucosides via a UDP-glycosyltransferase.

Glycosylation is often used to improve a natural product's properties such as water solubility, chemical stability, pharmacological potency, and structure diversification. In this study, we studied the enzymatic synthesis of novel isobavachalcone glucosides using a UDP-glycosyltransferase (YjiC) from Bacillus licheniformis DSM-13. The chemical structures of compounds 1 and 2 were elucidated by spectroscopic techniques, including LC-MS, MS, and NMR. Meanwhile, the parameters of glycosylation reaction such as incubation time, UDP-glucose concentration, and pH of buffer were also optimized during this study. Furthermore, the compounds 1 and 2 exhibited weak anti-proliferative activities against five human cancer cell lines, with IC50 values ranging from 58.6 to 86.6 µM.

[Effect of anacardic acid, a Hsp90 inhibitor, on proliferation, invasion and migration of breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of the Hsp90 inhibitor anacardic acid on cell proliferation, invasion and migration of breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells. METHODS: The inhibitory effect of anacardic acid on Hsp90 was assessed with in vitro ATPase inhibition assay and ATP-sepharose binding assay. MTT assay was used to detect the growth inhibition induced by anacardic acid in MDA-MB-231 cells. Transwell assays were used to evaluate MDA-MB-231 cell invasion and migration. Western blotting was performed to assess the effect of anacardic acid in triggering the degradation of MMP-9, TIMP-1, Hsp90, and Hsp70. RESULTS: Anacardic acid exhibited a modest activity of ATPase inhibition with an IC50 value of 82.5 µmol/L. Anacardic acid significantly suppressed the proliferation of MDA-MB-231 cells in a dose-dependent manner (IC50 value of 29.3 µmol/L). Treatment with 12.5, 25, and 50 µmol/L anacardic acid for 36 h caused inhibition of cell invasion by 23.6%, 56.6%, and 67.0% in MDA-MB-231 cells, respectively (P<0.05), and anacardic acid treatment for 24 h inhibited the cell migration by 30.0%, 45.5%, and 77.5%, respectively (P<0.05). Anacardic acid dose-dependently induced MMP-9 degradation, but did not obviously affect Hsp90 or Hsp70 expressions. CONCLUSION: Anacardic acid can significantly inhibit the proliferation, invasion, and migration of MDA-MB-231 cells, the mechanism of which may involve the inhibition of Hsp90 ATPse activity and down-regulation of MMP-9 expression.