Zinc finger BED-type containing 3 promotes hepatic steatosis by interacting with polypyrimidine tract-binding protein 1.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: The relationship between metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus, insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome is well established. While zinc finger BED-type containing 3 (ZBED3) has been linked to type 2 diabetes mellitus and the metabolic syndrome, its role in MASLD remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the function of ZBED3 in the context of MASLD. METHODS: Expression levels of ZBED3 were assessed in individuals with MASLD, as well as in cellular and animal models of MASLD. In vitro and in vivo analyses were conducted using a cellular model of MASLD induced by NEFA and an animal model of MASLD induced by a high-fat diet (HFD), respectively, to investigate the role of ZBED3 in MASLD. ZBED3 expression was increased by lentiviral infection or tail-vein injection of adeno-associated virus. RNA-seq and bioinformatics analysis were employed to examine the pathways through which ZBED3 modulates lipid accumulation. Findings from these next-generation transcriptome sequencing studies indicated that ZBED3 controls SREBP1c (also known as SREBF1; a gene involved in fatty acid de novo synthesis); thus, co-immunoprecipitation and LC-MS/MS were utilised to investigate the molecular mechanisms by which ZBED3 regulates the sterol regulatory element binding protein 1c (SREBP1c). RESULTS: In this study, we found that ZBED3 was significantly upregulated in the liver of individuals with MASLD and in MASLD animal models. ZBED3 overexpression promoted NEFA-induced triglyceride accumulation in hepatocytes in vitro. Furthermore, the hepatocyte-specific overexpression of Zbed3 promoted hepatic steatosis. Conversely, the hepatocyte-specific knockout of Zbed3 resulted in resistance of HFD-induced hepatic steatosis. Mechanistically, ZBED3 interacts directly with polypyrimidine tract-binding protein 1 (PTBP1) and affects its binding to the SREBP1c mRNA precursor to regulate SREBP1c mRNA stability and alternative splicing. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: This study indicates that ZBED3 promotes hepatic steatosis and serves as a critical regulator of the progression of MASLD. DATA AVAILABILITY: RNA-seq data have been deposited in the NCBI Gene Expression Omnibus ( www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/query/acc.cgi?acc=GSE231875 ). MS proteomics data have been deposited to the ProteomeXchange Consortium via the iProX partner repository ( https://proteomecentral.proteomexchange.org/cgi/GetDataset?ID=PXD041743 ).

Identification of a RNA-Seq Based Prognostic Signature with Seven Immune-Related lncRNAs for Lung Adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is still a worldwide challenge. Accumulated evidence demonstrates that the superiority of immune-related long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are closely connected with tumorigenesis and prognosis of cancer. However, no detailed studies have been conducted to present a reliable signature for predicting prognosis in LUAD patients from the perspective of tumor immunology. The aim of this study was to con-struct a risk score model based on the signature of the group of seven immune-related lncRNAs to predict the prognosis of patients with LUAD. METHODS: We performed a genome-wide analysis of expression profiles in 522 LUAD patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) project to explore the prognostic ability of immune-related lncRNAs. By using Kaplan-Meier analysis, univariate/multivariate Cox regression, receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC), and principal components analysis (PCA), a risk score model was constructed based on the signature of the group of seven immune-related lncRNAs to predict the prognosis of patients with LUAD. RESULTS: Using survival analysis and Cox regression model, we identified a set of seven lncRNAs (LINC00941, FAM83A-AS1, AC026355.1, AC068338.3, AC010980.2, AL365181.2, and AC079949.2) demonstrating an ability to stratify patients into high and low risk groups with significantly different survival outcomes. Moreover, the signature was identified as an independent prognostic factor and significantly associated with the overall survival (OS) of LUAD. The area under curve (AUC) of a ROC curve for the signature of the group of seven immune-related lncRNAs in predicting OS was 0.757. In addition, low-risk and high-risk groups displayed different immune statuses based on PCA. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggested a promising seven prognostic immune-related lncRNAs risk scoring system and may provide new information for immunological treatment in LUAD.

Immunobiological activity and antiviral regulation efforts of Chinese goose (Anser cygnoides) CD8α during NGVEV and GPV infection.

The CD8 molecule is a cell membrane glycoprotein expressed on cytotoxic T lymphocytes, which are involved in the clearance of viruses. However, the functional characterization of goose CD8α is still unclear. The immunobiological characterization of goose CD8α in goose spleen mononuclear cells (MNCs) was examined by real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR). It was shown that CD8α mRNA levels were significantly up-regulated by in vitro treatment of MNCs with phytohemagglutinin (PHA), concanavalin A (ConA), and polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly I:C) in a dose-dependent way, but lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) did not have this same effect. Moreover, the time-course effect of CD8α expression in response to mitogens (PHA, ConA, and poly I:C) was evaluated in MNCs. A significant increase in the transcriptional levels of CD8α was detected in new type gosling viral enteritis virus (NGVEV)-infected goose MNCs at 48 h postinfection (PI) and in goose parvovirus (GPV)-infected MNCs at 72 h PI. Also, the number of CD8α+ cells was significantly increased during viral infection from 72 h on. The seminal changes in mRNA profiles of antiviral cytokines (IFN-α, IFN-γ, and IL-18) were observed and were significantly increased during late phases of NGVEV and GPV infection. Accordingly, our data not only contribute to the understanding of the immune characteristics of goose CD8α, but they also provide new insight into the innate antiviral immunity of geese.

Alleviating Severe Cytoskeletal Destruction of Spinal Motor Neurons: Another Effect of Docosahexaenoic Acid in Spinal Cord Injury.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) treatment remains a major challenge. Spinal motor neurons (MNs) are seriously injured in the early stage after SCI, but this has not received sufficient attention. Oxidative stress is known to play a crucial role in SCI pathology. Our studies demonstrated that oxidative stress can cause severe damage to the cytoskeleton of spinal MNs. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) has been shown to have beneficial effects on SCI, but the mechanism remains unclear, and no study has investigated the effect of DHA on oxidative stress-induced spinal MN injury. Here, we investigated the effect of DHA on spinal MN injury through in vivo and in vitro experiments, focusing on the cytoskeleton. We found that DHA not only promoted spinal MN survival but, more importantly, alleviated the severe cytoskeletal destruction of these neurons induced by oxidative stress in vitro and in mice with SCI in vivo. In addition, the mechanisms involved were investigated and elucidated. These results not only suggested a beneficial role of DHA in spinal MN cytoskeletal destruction caused by oxidative stress and SCI but also indicated the important role of the spinal MN cytoskeleton in the recovery of motor function after SCI. Our study provides new insights for the formulation of SCI treatment.

Oxidative stress disrupts the cytoskeleton of spinal motor neurons.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) is a common and devastating central nervous disease, the treatment of which faces many challenges to the medical community and society as a whole. Treatment measures based on oxidative stress of spinal motor neurons during SCI are expected to help restore biological functions of neurons under injury conditions. However, to date, there are no systematic reports regarding oxidative stress on spinal motor neuron injury. Our aim is to better understand and explain the influences and mechanisms of oxidative stress on spinal motor neurons during SCI. METHODS: We first exposed VSC4.1 motor neurons to hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ) and evaluated the effects on cell viability, morphology, cycling, and apoptosis, with an emphasis on the changes to the cytoskeleton and the effect of N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) on these changes. Then, we investigated the effects of NAC on these cytoskeletal changes in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS: We found that H2 O2 caused severe damage to the normal cytoskeleton, leading to a reduction in neurite length and number, rearrangement of the actin cytoskeleton, and disorder of the microtubules and neurofilaments in VSC4.1. Importantly, NAC attenuated the oxidative damage of spinal motor neurons in vitro and in vivo, promoting the recovery of hindlimb motor ability in mice with SCI at the early stage of injury. CONCLUSION: This study shows that oxidative stress plays an important role in the cytoskeleton destruction of spinal motor neurons in SCI, and treatment of SCI on this basis is a promising strategy. These findings will help to elucidate the role of oxidative stress in spinal motor neuron injury in SCI and provide references for further research into the study of the pathology and underlying mechanism of SCI.

Overexpression of cannabinoid receptor 2 is associated with human breast cancer proliferation, apoptosis, chemosensitivity and prognosis via the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.

INTRODUCTION: The cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2) is mainly involved in the immune system. However, although CB2 has been reported to play an anti-tumor function in breast cancer (BC), its specific mechanism in BC remains unclear. METHODS: We examined the expression and prognostic significance of CB2 in BC tissues by qPCR, second-generation sequencing, western blot, and immunohistochemistry. We assessed the impacts of overexpression and a specific agonist of CB2 on the growth, proliferation, apoptosis, and drug resistance of BC cells in vitro and in vivo using CCK-8, flow cytometry, TUNEL staining, immunofluorescence, tumor xenografts, western blot, and colony formation assays. RESULTS: CB2 expression was significantly lower in BC compared with paracancerous tissues. It was also highly expressed in benign tumors and ductal carcinoma in situ, and its expression was correlated with prognosis in BC patients. CB2 overexpression and treatment of BC cells with a CB2 agonist inhibited proliferation and promoted apoptosis, and these actions were achieved by suppressing the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. Moreover, CB2 expression was increased in MDA-MB-231 cell treated with cisplatin, doxorubicin, and docetaxel, and sensitivity to these anti-tumor drugs was increased in BC cells overexpressing CB2. CONCLUSIONS: These findings reveal that CB2 mediates BC via the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. CB2 could be a novel target for the diagnosis and treatment of BC.

Transcriptome changes in ERGIC3-knockdown hepatocellular carcinoma cells: ERGIC3 is a novel immune function related gene.

Objective: The expression of ERGIC3 is increased in a variety of tumors and promotes the growth and metastasis of liver cancer, but the molecular mechanism needs to be further studied.In this study, we aimed to analyze the molecular mechanism of ERGIC3 regulating the proliferation of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) SMMC-7721 cells using transcriptomics. Methods: ERGIC3 was knocked down in SMMC-7721 cells by RNAi technique, and the expression of ERGIC3 was detected by Q-RT-PCR and Western Blot. RNA sequencing was performed in the Illumina HiSeq platform in the control group and the ERGIC3i group and bioinformatics methods were selected to analyze the data. Results: The expression of ERGIC3 was reduced to 10% in SMMC-7721 cells by RNAi technique, and 176 genes were up-regulated and 34 genes were down-regulated in ERGIC3i group compared with the control group. Analysis of the pathways and biological processes that enrich the function of differentially expressed genes showed thatthese differentially expressed genes were mainly involved in vesicular transport, growth factors, PI3K-Akt, NOD-like, Jak-STAT, NF-kappa B and other protein kinase-coupled receptors mediated signal transduction pathways, tumor immune response, collagen-integrin receptor-actin axis, and miRNA pathways. More importantly, most of the significantly altered pathways were related to immunity. ERGIC3 may be a key immune-related gene. Conclusion: Based on the transcriptomic analysis, the mechanism of ERGIC3 promoting the growth of HCC is link with the transport of growth factor receptor, cytokine receptor and collagen. Then it is involved in signal transduction pathways mediated by protein kinase-coupled receptors, PI3K-Akt, NOD-like, Jak-STAT and NF-kappa B. In particular, the mechanism is also involved in the ERGIC3-dependent immune pathways. ERGIC3 is a potential target for prevention and treatment of HCC.

N'-(2-Chloro-benzyl-idene)-2-hydr-oxy-3-methyl-benzohydrazide.

In the title compound, C(15)H(13)ClN(2)O(2), the dihedral angle between the two benzene rings is 3.4 (5)° and the mol-ecule adopts an E configuration with respect to the C=N bond. There is an intra-molecular O-H⋯O hydrogen bond in the mol-ecule, which generates an S(6) loop. In the crystal structure, mol-ecules are linked through inter-molecular N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming C(4) chains running along the a axis.

N'-(2,3-Dimethoxy-benzyl-idene)-2-hydr-oxy-3-methyl-benzohydrazide.

In the title compound, C(17)H(18)N(2)O(4), the dihedral angle between the two benzene rings is 6.0 (2)° and the mol-ecule adopts an E configuration with respect to the C=N bond. There is an intra-molecular O-H⋯O hydrogen bond in the mol-ecule, which generates an S(6) ring. In the crystal, mol-ecules are linked through inter-molecular N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming C(4) chains running along the c axis.

N'-(2,3-Dimethoxy-benzyl-idene)-2,4-dihydroxy-benzohydrazide.

In the title compound, C(16)H(16)N(2)O(5), the dihedral angle between the two benzene rings is 8.5 (3)° and the mol-ecule adopts an E configuration with respect to the C=N bond. There is an intra-molecular N-H⋯O hydrogen bond in the mol-ecule, which generates an S(6) ring. In the crystal, mol-ecules are linked through inter-molecular O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming layers parallel to the bc plane.

2,4-Dihydr-oxy-N'-(2-hydr-oxy-4-methoxy-benzyl-idene)benzohydrazide.

In the title compound, C(15)H(14)N(2)O(5), the dihedral angle between the two benzene rings is 4.3 (3)° and the mol-ecule adopts an E configuration with respect to the C=N bond. Intra-molecular O-H⋯N and N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds are observed. In the crystal structure, the mol-ecules are linked through inter-molecular N-H⋯O and O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds to form layers parallel to the ac plane.

N'-(2,4-Dichloro-benzyl-idene)-2-hydr-oxy-3-methyl-benzohydrazide.

In the title compound, C(15)H(12)Cl(2)N(2)O(2), the dihedral angle between the two benzene rings is 6.3 (2)°. The mol-ecule adopts an E configuration with respect to the C=N bond. An intra-molecular O-H⋯O hydrogen bond is observed. In the crystal structure, the mol-ecules are linked through inter-molecular N-H⋯O and C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds to form chains running along [101].

2-Hydr-oxy-N'-(2-hydr-oxy-3-meth-oxy-5-nitro-benzyl-idene)-3-methyl-benzo-hydrazide.

In the title compound, C(16)H(15)N(3)O(6), the dihedral angle between the two benzene rings is 0.9 (2)°. The mol-ecule adopts an E configuration with respect to the C=N bond. There are intra-molecular O-H⋯N and O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds in the mol-ecule. In the crystal structure, mol-ecules are linked through inter-molecular N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds to form chains running along the c axis.

(E)-2,4-Dihydr-oxy-N'-(2-hydr-oxy-3-meth-oxy-5-nitro-benzyl-idene)benzohydrazide dihydrate.

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C(15)H(13)N(3)O(7)·2H(2)O, consists of a hydrazone mol-ecule and two solvent water mol-ecules. The mol-ecule adopts an E configuration with respect to the C=N bond. It is relatively planar, with a dihedral angle between the two benzene rings of 2.6 (1)°. There are intra-molecular O-H⋯N and O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds in the hydrazone mol-ecule. In the crystal structure, symmetry-related mol-ecules are linked through inter-molecular N-H⋯O and O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds to form a three-dimensional network.

N'-(2,5-Dihydroxy-benzyl-idene)-2-hydr-oxy-3-methyl-benzohydrazide.

In the title compound, C(15)H(14)N(2)O(4), the dihedral angle between the two benzene rings is 4.1 (2)°. The mol-ecule adopts an E configuration with respect to the C=N bond. There are intra-molecular O-H⋯N and O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds in the mol-ecule. In the crystal structure, mol-ecules are linked through inter-molecular N-H⋯O and O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming chains running along the c axis.

2-Hydr-oxy-N'-(2-hydr-oxy-4-methoxy-benzyl-idene)-3-methyl-benzohydrazide monohydrate.

In the title compound, C(16)H(16)N(2)O(4)·H(2)O, the dihedral angle between the two benzene rings is 12.4 (2)° and the mol-ecule adopts an E configuration with respect to the C=N bond. There are intra-molecular O-H⋯N and O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds in the hydrazone mol-ecule, which both generate S(6) rings. In the crystal structure, mol-ecules are linked by N-H⋯O and O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming layers parallel to the ab plane. The crystal studied was a non-merohedral twin with a domain ratio of 0.887 (3):0.113 (3).

ERGIC3 Silencing Additively Enhances the Growth Inhibition of BFA on Lung Adenocarcinoma Cells.

BACKGROUND: Brefeldin A (BFA) has been known to induce endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and Golgi body stress in cancer cells. ERGIC3 (endoplasmic reticulum-Golgi intermediate compartment 3) is a type II transmembrane protein located in the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi body. ERGIC3 over-expression is frequently observed in cancer cells. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aim to explore whether BFA administered concurrently with ERGIC3 silencing would work additively or synergistically inhibit cancer cell growth. METHODS: ERGIC3-siRNA was used to knock-down the expression of ERGIC3 and BFA was used to induce ERS in lung cancer cell lines GLC-82 and A549. Q-RT-PCR and Western Blot analysis were used to detect the expression of ERGIC3 and downstream molecules. GraphPad Prism 6 was used to quantify the data. RESULTS: We demonstrated that silencing of ERGIC3 via siRNA effectively led to down-regulation of ERGIC3 at both mRNA and protein levels in GLC-82 and A549 cells. While BFA or ERGIC3- silencing alone could induce ERS and inhibit cell growth, the combination treatment of lung cancer cells with ERGIC3-silencing and BFA was able to additively enhance the inhibition effects of cell growth through up-regulation of GRP78 resulting in cell cycle arrest. CONCLUSION: ERGIC3 silencing in combination with BFA treatment could additively inhibit lung cancer cell growth. This finding might shed a light on new adjuvant therapy for lung adenocarcinoma.

Microdeletions at DYS448 and DYS387S1 associate with increased risk of male infertility.

Male infertility affects many people of reproductive age. Diagnosis and therapies based on descriptive semen parameters have helped some of the infertility patients; however, further progress in reproductive therapy demands a better understanding of the molecular and genetic causes for male infertility. Although Y chromosome microdeletions have been a hot subject of genetic studies on male infertility, the relationship between male infertility and microdeletions at Y chromosome loci DYS448, DYS387, and DYS627 remains unclear. Here we analyzed the microdeletions at these three loci in 200 infertility male patients and 200 healthy subjects and showed that microdeletions at DYS448 and DYS387 correlate with male infertility. Our results suggest that genetic analyses of Y chromosome loci DYS448 and DYS387 can be genetic markers for reproductive diagnosis and therapy.

Molecular cloning, tissue distribution, and immune function of goose TLR7.

TLR7 is a transmembrane endosomal protein that plays an essential role in innate antiviral responses via the recognition of conserved viral molecular patterns. Here, we cloned the full-length cDNA of goose TLR7 and carried out a molecular characterization of goose TLR7. The goose TLR7 gene is 3900 bp and encodes a 1045 amino acid protein with high homology to poultry (93% to duck and 83% to chicken). Similar conclusions were made by phylogenetic analysis. The predicted protein secondary structure of goose TLR7 contained a conserved Toll/interleukin-1 receptor domain and characteristic leucine-rich repeat regions, which has also been reported for duck TLR7. Additionally, the tissue distribution of goose TLR7 suggests that immune-associated tissues, especially the cecal tonsil and bursa of Fabricius, have high goose TLR7 expression levels. Goose TLR7 is abundantly expressed in lung tissues, which is distinct from its expression in chickens. Similar to duck TLR7, goose spleen mononuclear cells (MNCs) exposed to the mammalian TLR7 agonists R848 and Imiquimod showed significant induction of the production of proinflammatory cytokines and IFN-α. New type gosling viral enteritis virus (NGVEV) infection resulted in high mRNA expression levels of goose TLR7 in the spleen. By contrast, no direct interaction between NGVEV and goose TLR7 was detected after infecting goose spleen MNCs with NGVEV in vitro. However, triggering of goose TLR7 resulted in the rapid up-regulation of proinflammatory cytokines and anti-viral molecules, suggesting that goose TLR7 plays an important role in anti-viral defense.

Age-related development and tissue distribution of T cell markers (CD4 and CD8a) in Chinese goose.

Aquatic birds play n critical role in the transmission and dissemination of many important pathogens such as avian influenza virus. The cell-mediated immunity is very important in eliminating the intracellular antigens. Expression of CD4 and CD8 on T cell surface is essential for cell-mediated immune defence and T-cell development. However, the ontogeny of T lymphocytes in waterfowl is scarce and fragmentary. To address these questions, here we report the development and tissues distribution of CD4 and CD8α in goose embryo, gosling and goose by immunocytochemistry assay using monoclonal antibodies. Moreover, the age-related mRNA level of goose CD4 and CD8α in different immune tissues were study by real time quantitative PCR. Our results suggested that the high expression of CD4 and CD8α were readily found in thymus, which peaked at the first week post-hatch. And the highest expression level of CD4 and CD8α were detected in bursa of Fabricius, caecal tonsils, spleen and intestine at the second week, after that the expression level were gradually decreased. Interestingly, the remarkably high expression of CD4 and CD8α in Harderian gland were detected at the first week, which is about hundreds times more than that in other tissues. Our findings demonstrated that the development and the distribution of CD4 and CD8α are partly changed in an age-related way. Moreover, the histological morphogenesis of immune tissues were also discussed. Our results may shed lights on the better understand of T-cell mediate immunity in goose.