Cytolethal Distending Toxin Modulates Cell Differentiation and Elicits Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition.

BACKGROUND: The bacterial genotoxin, cytolethal distending toxin (CDT), causes DNA damage in host cells, a risk factor for carcinogenesis. Previous studies have shown that CDT induces phenotypes reminiscent of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process involved in cancer initiation and progression. METHODS: We investigated different steps of EMT in response to Helicobacter hepaticus CDT and its active CdtB subunit using in vivo and in vitro models. RESULTS: Most of the steps of the EMT process were induced by CDT/CdtB and observed throughout the study in murine and epithelial cell culture models. CdtB induced cell-cell junction disassembly, causing individualization of cells and acquisition of a spindle-like morphology. The key transcriptional regulators of EMT (SNAIL and ZEB1) and some EMT markers were upregulated at both RNA and protein levels in response to CDT/CdtB. CdtB increased the expression and proteolytic activity of matrix metalloproteinases, as well as cell migration. A range of these results were confirmed in Helicobacter hepaticus-infected and xenograft murine models. In addition, colibactin, a genotoxic metabolite produced by Escherichia coli, induced EMT-like effects in cell culture. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, these data show that infection with genotoxin-producing bacteria elicits EMT process activation, supporting their role in tumorigenesis.

PM2.5 induce myocardial injury in hyperlipidemic mice through ROS-pyroptosis signaling pathway.

Exposure to particulate matters with diameters below 2.5 µm (PM2.5) is considered a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The closest associations between PM2.5 and CVDs have been observed in hyperbetalipoproteinemia cases, although the detailed underpinning mechanism remains undefined. In this work, hyperlipidemic mice and H9C2 cells were used to examine the effects of PM2.5 on myocardial injury and their underlying mechanisms. The results revealed that PM2.5 exposure caused severe myocardial damage in the high-fat mouse model. Oxidative stress and pyroptosis were also observed along with myocardial injury. After inhibiting pyroptosis with disulfiram (DSF), the level of pyroptosis was effectively reduced as well as myocardial injury, suggesting that PM2.5 induced the pyroptosis pathway and further caused myocardial injury and cell death. Afterwards, by suppressing PM2.5-induced oxidative stress with N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), myocardial injury was markedly ameliorated, and the upregulation of pyroptosis markers was reversed, which indicated that PM2.5-pyroptosis was also improved. Taken together, this study revealed that PM2.5 induce myocardial injury through the ROS-pyroptosis signaling pathway in hyperlipidemia mice models, providing a potential approach for clinical interventions.

Oxidative stress activates Ryr2-Ca2+ and apoptosis to promote PM2.5-induced heart injury of hyperlipidemia mice.

The increased cases of hyperlipemia in China and the crucial role of PM2.5 in inducing and promoting cardiovascular diseases have attracting more and more researchers' attention. However, the effects and mechanisms of PM2.5 on cardiovascular system of hyperlipidemia people are still unclear. In this study, hyperlipidemia mice model was established by high-fat diet. Then we exposed these mice to PM2.5 or saline to explore the underling mechanism of cardiac injury in hyperlipidemia mice. The hyperlipemia mice are more susceptible to heart damage caused by PM2.5 exposure. The participation of oxidative stress, cell apoptosis and Ca2+ related mechanism could be observed in this model. After NAC (N-acetyl-L-cysteine) treatment, the oxidative stress level induced by PM2.5 exposure significantly decreased in hyperlipemia mice. NAC effectively alleviated cardiac injury, improved the imbalance of calcium and attenuated apoptosis induced by PM2.5 exposure in hyperlipemia mice. The strong oxidative stress in hyperlipemia mice could lead to calcium homeostasis imbalance and activation of apoptosis-related pathways. This mechanism of PM2.5-induced myocardial injury was also verified in vitro. In our present study, we demonstrated the contribution of the PM2.5-ROS-Ryr2-Ca2+ axis in PM2.5-induced heart injury of hyperlipidemia mice, offering a potential therapeutical target for related pathology.

DEK46 performs C-to-U editing of a specific site in mitochondrial nad7 introns that is critical for intron splicing and seed development in maize.

The self-splicing of group II introns during RNA processing depends on their catalytic structure and is influenced by numerous factors that promote the formation of that structure through direct binding. Here we report that C-to-U editing at a specific position in two nad7 introns is essential to splicing, which also implies that the catalytic activity of non-functional group II introns could be restored by editing. We characterized a maize (Zea mays) mutant, dek46, with a defective kernel phenotype; Dek46 encodes a pentatricopeptide repeat DYW protein exclusively localized in mitochondria. Analyses of the coding regions of mitochondrial transcripts did not uncover differences in RNA editing between dek46 mutant and wild-type maize, but showed that splicing of nad7 introns 3 and 4 is severely reduced in the mutant. Furthermore, editing at nucleotide 22 of domain 5 (D5-C22) of both introns is abolished in dek46. We constructed chimeric introns by swapping D5 of P.li.LSUI2 with D5 of nad7 intron 3. In vitro splicing assays indicated that the chimeric intron containing D5-U22 can be self-spliced, but the one containing D5-C22 cannot. These results indicate that DEK46 functions in the C-to-U editing of D5-C22 of both introns, and the U base at this position is critical to intron splicing.

Neuregulin Signaling in the Tumor Microenvironment.

Neuregulins, members of the largest subclass of growth factors of the epidermal growth factor family, mediate a myriad of cellular functions including survival, proliferation, and differentiation in normal tissues through binding to receptor tyrosine kinases of the ErbB family. However, aberrant neuregulin signaling in the tumor microenvironment is increasingly recognized as a key player in initiation and malignant progression of human cancers. In this chapter, we focus on the role of neuregulin signaling in the hallmarks of cancer, including cancer initiation and development, metastasis, as well as therapeutic resistance. Moreover, role of neuregulin signaling in the regulation of tumor microenvironment and targeting of neuregulin signaling in cancer from the therapeutic perspective are also briefly discussed.

The DYW-subgroup pentatricopeptide repeat protein PPR27 interacts with ZmMORF1 to facilitate mitochondrial RNA editing and seed development in maize.

C-to-U RNA editing in plant mitochondria requires the participation of many nucleus-encoded factors, most of which are pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) proteins. There is a large number of PPR proteins and the functions many of them are unknown. Here, we report a mitochondrion-localized DYW-subgroup PPR protein, PPR27, which functions in the editing of multiple mitochondrial transcripts in maize. The ppr27 mutant is completely deficient in C-to-U editing at the ccmFN-1357 and rps3-707 sites, and editing at six other sites is substantially reduced. The lack of editing at ccmFN-1357 causes a deficiency of CcmFN protein. As CcmFN functions in the maturation pathway of cytochrome proteins that are subunits of mitochondrial complex III, its deficiency results in an absence of cytochrome c1 and cytochrome c proteins. Consequently, the assembly of mitochondrial complex III and super-complex I+III2 is decreased, which impairs the electron transport chain and respiration, leading to arrests in embryogenesis and endosperm development in ppr27. In addition, PPR27 was found to physically interact with ZmMORF1, which interacts with ZmMORF8, suggesting that these three proteins may facilitate C-to-U RNA editing via the formation of a complex in maize mitochondria. This RNA editing is essential for complex III assembly and seed development in maize.

Blood-brain barrier pathology in cerebral small vessel disease.

ABSTRACT: Cerebral small vessel disease is a neurological disease that affects the brain microvasculature and which is commonly observed among the elderly. Although at first it was considered innocuous, small vessel disease is nowadays regarded as one of the major vascular causes of dementia. Radiological signs of small vessel disease include small subcortical infarcts, white matter magnetic resonance imaging hyperintensities, lacunes, enlarged perivascular spaces, cerebral microbleeds, and brain atrophy; however, great heterogeneity in clinical symptoms is observed in small vessel disease patients. The pathophysiology of these lesions has been linked to multiple processes, such as hypoperfusion, defective cerebrovascular reactivity, and blood-brain barrier dysfunction. Notably, studies on small vessel disease suggest that blood-brain barrier dysfunction is among the earliest mechanisms in small vessel disease and might contribute to the development of the hallmarks of small vessel disease. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to provide a new foundation in the study of small vessel disease pathology. First, we discuss the main structural domains and functions of the blood-brain barrier. Secondly, we review the most recent evidence on blood-brain barrier dysfunction linked to small vessel disease. Finally, we conclude with a discussion on future perspectives and propose potential treatment targets and interventions.

The influence of stress on mental health among Chinese college students: The moderating role of psychological suzhi.

Depending on its duration, stress can be divided into chronic and acute stress, both of which can be detrimental to an individual's mental health. Psychological suzhi may act as a protective factor that buffers the adverse effects of stress. This study aimed to explore the moderating role of psychological suzhi in the relationship between these two types of stress and mental health based on a dual-factor model of mental health. Study 1 explored the moderating role of psychological suzhi on the relationship between chronic stress and mental health using the Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Check List, College Student Psychological Suzhi Scale Brief Mental Health Version, Satisfaction With Life Scale, and 12-item General Health Questionnaire to investigate 919 Chinese college students. A hierarchical regression model was used to examine the moderating effects. Study 2 examined the moderating role of psychological suzhi on the relationship between acute stress and mental health. Participants (N = 56) were classified into high (N = 30) and low (N = 26) psychological suzhi groups based on the Psychological Suzhi Scale. They completed the Trier Social Stress Test for Groups and a specific control condition, and their state anxiety and happiness levels were assessed. Data were analyzed using a mixed-design repeated-measures ANOVA. The results of Study 1 revealed that psychological suzhi moderated the influence of chronic stress on the negative indicator of mental health (psychological symptoms) (ß = -0.18, t = -6.90, p < 0.001). The results of Study 2 showed that psychological suzhi moderated the effect of acute stress on the negative indicator of mental health (state anxiety) [F (1, 54) = 4.79, p < 0.05, η2 = 0.08]. Psychological suzhi can moderate the influence of both chronic and acute stress on the negative indicators of college students' mental health but cannot moderate the influence on the positive indicators of mental health.

A novel combined intelligent algorithm prediction model for the tunnel surface settlement.

To ensure the safety and stability of the shield tunnel construction process, the ground settlement induced by the shield construction needs to be effectively predicted. In this paper, a prediction method combining empirical mode decomposition (EMD), chaotic adaptive sparrow search algorithm (CASSA), and extreme learning machine (ELM) is proposed. First, the EMD is used to decompose the settlement sequence into trend vectors and fluctuation vectors to fully extract the effective information of the sequence; Second, the sparrow search algorithm is improved by introducing Cubic chaotic mapping to initialize the population and adaptive factor to optimize the searcher's position formula, and the chaotic adaptive sparrow search algorithm is proposed; Finally, the CASSA-ELM prediction model is constructed by using CASSA to find the optimal values of weights and thresholds in the extreme learning machine. The fluctuation components and trend components decomposed by EMD are predicted one by one, and the prediction results are superimposed and reconstructed to obtain the predicted final settlement. Taking a shield interval in Jiangsu, China as an example, the meta-heuristic algorithm-optimized ELM model improves the prediction accuracy by 10.70% compared with the traditional ELM model. The combined EMD-CASSA-ELM prediction model can greatly improve the accuracy and speed of surface settlement prediction, and provide a new means for safety monitoring in shield tunnel construction. Intelligent prediction methods can predict surface subsidence more automatically and quickly, becoming a new development trend.

Pyroptosis participates in PM2.5-induced air-blood barrier dysfunction.

Epidemiological studies have shown that particulate matters with diameter less than 2.5 µm (PM2.5) play an important role in inducing and promoting respiratory diseases, but its underlying mechanism remains to be explored. The air-blood barrier, also known as the alveolar-capillary barrier, is the key element of the lung, working as the site of oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange between pulmonary vasculatures. In this study, a mouse PM2.5 exposure model was established, which leads to an induced lung injury and air-blood barrier disruption. Oxidative stress and pyroptosis were observed in this process. After reducing the oxidative stress by N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) treatment, the air-blood barrier function was improved and the effect of PM2.5 was alleviated. The level of pyroptosis and related pathway were also effectively relieved. These results indicate that acute PM2.5 exposure can cause lung injury and the alveolar-capillary barrier disruption by inducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) with the participation of pyroptosis pathway.

Differential expression of long non-coding RNAs in the hippocampus of mice exposed to PM2.5 in Dalian, China.

Evidence is mounting that PM2.5 exposure could lead to learning disability, memory deficits, and cognitive impairment; however, the underlying mechanisms are still not well demonstrated yet. Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) play a crucial role in many human diseases. Although the relationship of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and lncRNAs have been discovered, the role of lncRNA in AD-like phenotype induced by PM2.5 needs further exploration. In this study, we profiled the expression of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and lncRNAs in hippocampus after confirming the AD-like changes in mice. Compared with the control group, a total of 478 mRNAs and 151 lncRNAs were dysregulated after PM2.5 exposure. ECM-receptor interaction, focal adhesion, complement and coagulation cascades, and AGE-RAGE signaling pathway were found dysregulated through lncRNA-co-expressed genes analysis based on the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). Meanwhile, the genes related to microglia were significantly altered, such as CX3CR1, CD163, lncRNA Gm44750, and lncRNA Gm43509. Above evidences suggested that microglia-related lncRNAs dysregulation probably plays a crucial role in PM2.5exposure-associated learning and memory deficits.

Valproic acid exhibits anti-tumor activity selectively against EGFR/ErbB2/ErbB3-coexpressing pancreatic cancer via induction of ErbB family members-targeting microRNAs.

BACKGROUND: Deregulated ErbB signaling plays an important role in tumorigenesis of pancreatic cancer. However, patients with pancreatic cancer benefit little from current existed therapies targeting the ErbB signaling. Here, we explore the potential anti-tumor activity of Valproic acid against pancreatic cancer via targeting ErbB family members. METHODS: Cell viability assay and apoptosis evaluation were carried out to determine the efficacy of VPA on pancreatic cancer cells. Western blot analyses were performed to determine the expression and activation of proteins. Apoptosis enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to quantify cytoplasmic histone associated DNA fragments. Lentiviral expression system was used to introduce overexpression of exogeneous genes or gene-targeting short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs). qRT-PCR was carried out to analyze the mRNAs and miRNAs expression levels. Tumor xenograft model was established to evaluate the in vivo anti-pancreatic cancer activity of VPA. RESULTS: VPA preferentially inhibited cell proliferation/survival of, and induced apoptosis in EGFR/ErbB2/ErbB3-coexpressing pancreatic cancer cells within its clinically achievable range [40~100 mg/L (0.24~0.6 mmol/L)]. Mechanistic investigations revealed that VPA treatment resulted in simultaneous significant down-regulation of EGFR, ErbB2, and ErbB3 in pancreatic cancer cells likely via induction of ErbB family members-targeting microRNAs. Moreover, the anti-pancreatic cancer activity of VPA was further validated in tumor xenograft model. CONCLUSIONS: Our data strongly suggest that VPA may be added to the treatment regimens for pancreatic cancer patients with co-overexpression of the ErbB family members.

Integrative gene expression profiling reveals that dysregulated triple microRNAs confer paclitaxel resistance in non-small cell lung cancer via co-targeting MAPT.

BACKGROUND: Paclitaxel has shown significant anti-tumor activity against non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); however, resistance to paclitaxel frequently occurs and represents a significant clinical problem and its underlying molecular mechanism remains elusive. METHODS: Long-term treatment of culture cell with paclitaxel was carried out to mimic the development of acquired drug resistance in NSCLC. Cell proliferation and clonogenic assay and apoptosis evaluation were carried out to determine the efficacy of paclitaxel on NSCLC cells. Western blot analyses were performed to determine the expression and activation of proteins. Apoptosis enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to quantify cytoplasmic histone-associated DNA fragments. Microarray analyses were applied to explore both mRNA and miRNA expression profiles in NSCLC cells followed by integrative analysis. qRT-PCR was carried out to verify the differentially expressed mRNAs and miRNAs. RESULTS: The expression of 652 genes was shown to be changed at least 2-fold in paclitaxel-resistant NSCLC (H460_TaxR) cells with 511 upregulated and 141 downregulated as compared with that in parental H460 cells. The differentially expressed genes were functionally enriched in regulating the cell proliferation, cell death, and response to endogenous stimulus, and clustered in pathways such as cancer and signaling by the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR). Moreover, 43 miRNAs were shown to be differentially expressed in H460_TaxR cells with 15 upregulated and 28 downregulated as compared with parental H460 cells. A total of 289 pairs of miRNA-potential target gene were revealed in H460_TaxR cells by bioinformatics analysis. Furthermore, integrative analysis of miRNAs and gene expression profiles revealed that dysregulated miR-362-3p, miR-766-3p, and miR-6507-3p might confer paclitaxel resistance in NSCLC via targeting MAPT simultaneously. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggested that specific manipulation of MAPT-targeting miRNAs may be a novel strategy to overcome paclitaxel resistance in patients with NSCLC especially large-cell lung carcinoma.

LAT, HOXD3 and NFE2L3 identified as novel DNA methylation-driven genes and prognostic markers in human clear cell renal cell carcinoma by integrative bioinformatics approaches.

Background: Abnormal DNA methylation of is one of the important mechanisms leading to tumor pathogenesis. The purpose of this study was to explore differentially methylated genes that may drive the development of renal clear cell carcinoma through a comprehensive analysis of the TCGA database. Materials and methods: Methylation data and RNA-seq data for clear cell renal cell carcinoma were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Differentially methylated genes and the differential genes associated with survival were then screened by MethylMix R package and univariate Cox proportional-hazards model, respectively. Their common genes were then intersected and obtained for further analysis. Correlation of gene expression and methylation levels, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) enrichments, survival curve, and ROC curve plotting for DNA methylation-driven genes were finally performed. The methylation alterations of the three genes were validated via two GEO datasets (GSE70303 and GSE113501), and the genes expression level was verified through two GEO datasets (GSE6344 and GSE53757). Results: Three novel DNA methylation-driven genes LAT, HOXD3 and NFE2L3 were identified in clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Expression analysis further revealed that hypomethylation levels of LAT and NFE2L3 showed higher gene expression levels, while HOXD3 exhibited opposite methylation-expression pattern. The CpG sites of LAT (cg16462073), HOXD3 (cg24000528) and NFE2L3 (cg16882373) that may affect respective gene expressions were also identified. For the survival analysis, we found that hypomethylation and over-expression of LAT and NFE2L3 were correlated with poor survival, while hypermethylation and low-expression HOXD3 was correlated with poor survival of clear cell renal cell carcinoma patients. In addition, GSEA KEGG analysis and biological processes of these genes were also enriched for functional analysis. Kaplan-Meier survival and ROC analyses of these genes showed an average risk score of 0.9140593, AUC = 0.692, which suggested a good clinical application value. Finally, the opposite methylation-expression pattern of these three genes were verified in GEO datasets. Conclusions: In this study, we successfully exhibited the potential DNA methylation-driven genes LAT, HOXD3, and NFE2L3 involved in clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Moreover, gene functions and prognostic risk models were also elucidated, which facilitated the expansion of the current study on the role of methylation in the pathology process of clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

Spatiotemporal distribution and potential risk assessment of microcystins in the Yulin River, a tributary of the Three Gorges Reservoir, China.

Microcystins (MCs) pose potential threat for both aquatic organisms and humans, whereas their occurrence in response to hydrodynamic alterations are not clearly understood. Here, spatiotemporal variations of dissolved MC-RR and MC-LR were evaluated monthly in 2016 in the Yulin River, a tributary of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR). The environmental factors that linked to MCs concentration were discussed. The results revealed that MC-RR maximumly reached 3.55 µg/L, and the maximum MC-LR concentration exceeded the threshold value of 1.0 µg/L recommended by the WHO. MCs concentrations were higher during the flood season and decreased from the estuary to the upstream reach of the Yulin River. Ecological risk assessment confirmed that MC-LR had significant adverse effects on the benthonic invertebrates Potamopyrgus antipodarum. MCs content in the sediment was 1.70- to 20-fold higher than that in suspended particulate matter (SPM). The impacts of environmental factors on the MCs profile differed between flood and dry seasons and the longitudinal differences of MCs were determined by the longitudinal profile of water velocity and SPM content, which were affected by TGR operations. This study suggested that the occurrence of MCs in the Yulin River were influenced by hydrologic regime in TGR.