Roles of PTBP1 in alternative splicing, glycolysis, and oncogensis / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

Polypyrimidine tract-binding protein 1 (PTBP1) plays an essential role in splicing and is expressed in almost all cell types in humans, unlike the other proteins of the PTBP family. PTBP1 mediates several cellular processes in certain types of cells, including the growth and differentiation of neuronal cells and activation of immune cells. Its function is regulated by various molecules, including microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and RNA-binding proteins. PTBP1 plays roles in various diseases, particularly in some cancers, including colorectal cancer, renal cell cancer, breast cancer, and glioma. In cancers, it acts mainly as a regulator of glycolysis, apoptosis, proliferation, tumorigenesis, invasion, and migration. The role of PTBP1 in cancer has become a popular research topic in recent years, and this research has contributed greatly to the formulation of a useful therapeutic strategy for cancer. In this review, we summarize recent findings related to PTBP1 and discuss how it regulates the development of cancer cells.

GoldCLIP: Gel-omitted Ligation-dependent CLIP / 基因组蛋白质组与生物信息学报·英文版

Protein-RNA interaction networks are essential to understand gene regulation control. Identifying binding sites of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) by the UV-crosslinking and immunoprecipitation (CLIP) represents one of the most powerful methods to map protein-RNA interactions in vivo. However, the traditional CLIP protocol is technically challenging, which requires radioactive labeling and suffers from material loss during PAGE-membrane transfer procedures. Here we introduce a super-efficient CLIP method (GoldCLIP) that omits all gel purification steps. This nonisotopic method allows us to perform highly reproducible CLIP experiments with polypyrimidine tract-binding protein (PTB), a classical RBP in human cell lines. In principle, our method guarantees sequencing library constructions, providing the protein of interest can be successfully crosslinked to RNAs in living cells. GoldCLIP is readily applicable to diverse proteins to uncover their endogenous RNA targets.

RNA-binding protein PTB in spermatogenesis: Progress in studies / 中华男科学杂志

RNA binding proteins (RBPs) regulate the function of cells by interacting with nascent transcripts and therefore are receiving increasing attention from researchers for their roles in tissue development and homeostasis. The polypyrimidine tract binding (PTB) protein family of RBPs are important posttranscriptional regulators of gene expression. Further investigations on the post-transcriptional regulation mechanisms and isoforms of PTB proteins in the spermatogenesis show that PTB protein 1 (Ptbp1) is a predominant isoform in mitotic cells (spermatogonia), while Ptbp2 predominates in meiotic spermatocytes and postmeiotic spermatids and binds to the specific 3' untranslated region (3' UTR) of the phosphoglycerate kinase 2 (Pgk-2) mRNA, which helps to stabilize Pgk-2 mRNA in male mouse germ cells. In case of Ptbp2 inactivation in the testis, the differentiation of germ cells arrests in the stage of round spermatids, with proliferation of multinucleated cells in the seminiferous tubule, increased apoptosis of spermatocytes, atrophy of seminiferous tubules, and lack of elongating spermatids, which consequently affects male fertility. This article presents an overview on the structure of the PTB protein and its role in regulating mammalian spermatogenesis.

Susceptibility weighted imaging: differentiating between calcification and hemosiderin / Imagem ponderada em suscetibilidade magnética: diferenciando calcificação de hemossiderina

Objective: To present a detailed explanation on the processing of magnetic susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI), demonstrating the effects of echo time and sensitive mask on the differentiation between calcification and hemosiderin. Materials and Methods: Computed tomography and magnetic resonance (magnitude and phase) images of six patients (age range 41– 54 years; four men) were retrospectively selected. The SWI images processing was performed using the Matlab’s own routine. Results: Four out of the six patients showed calcifications at computed tomography images and their SWI images demonstrated hyperintense signal at the calcification regions. The other patients did not show any calcifications at computed tomography, and SWI revealed the presence of hemosiderin deposits with hypointense signal. Conclusion: The selection of echo time and of the mask may change all the information on SWI images, and compromise the diagnostic reliability. Amongst the possible masks, the authors highlight that the sigmoid mask allows for contrasting calcifications and hemosiderin on a single SWI image. .

Objetivo: Expor em detalhes o processamento da imagem ponderada em suscetibilidade magnética (susceptibility weighted imaging – SWI), destacando o efeito da escolha do tempo de eco e da máscara sensível à diferenciação de calcificação e hemossiderina simultaneamente. Materiais e Métodos: Imagens de tomografia computadorizada e por ressonância magnética (magnitude e fase) foram selecionadas, retrospectivamente, de seis pacientes (idades entre 41 e 54 anos; quatro homens). O processamento das imagens SWI foi realizado em rotina própria no programa Matlab. Resultados: Dos seis pacientes estudados, quatro apresentaram calcificações nas imagens de tomografia computadorizada. Nestes, as imagens SWI mostraram sinal hiperintenso para as regiões de calcificações. Os outros dois pacientes não apresentaram calcificações nas imagens de tomografia computadorizada e apresentaram depósito de hemossiderina com sinal hipointenso na imagem SWI. Conclusão: A escolha do tempo de eco e da máscara pode alterar toda a informação da imagem SWI e comprometer a confiabilidade diagnóstica. Dentre as possíveis máscaras, destacamos que a máscara sigmoide permite contrastar calcificação e hemossiderina em uma única imagem SWI. .

Short-term Effects of a Systematized Bladder Training Program for Idiopathic Overactive Bladder: A Prospective Study / 대한배뇨장애요실금학회지

PURPOSE: This study was to investigate whether a systematized bladder training (BT) program is effective for patients with idiopathic overactive bladder (OAB). METHODS: A prospective study was conducted on 105 patients with OAB from March 2009 to November 2011. We developed a 30 minutes BT program, which consisted of first, refraining from going to the bathroom after feeling an urge to void, second, in order to stop thinking about voiding, ceasing action and thought temporarily, and third, performing pelvic floor exercises 5 to 6 times. Before and after BT, the patients filled out voiding diaries as well as the following questionnaires; International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire for overactive bladder (ICIQ-OAB), International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), overactive bladder questionnaire (OAB-q), the short form 36-item health survey (SF-36) questionnaire, the work productivity and activity impairment questionnaire, and a patients' perception of treatment benefit (PPTB). RESULTS: A final analysis was performed from on 85 patients (38 male, 47 female) with idiopathic OAB. After the first BT, the results of the ICIQ-OAB showed improvement in frequency, nocturia, and urgency (P<0.05), and all domains of IPSS questionnaires showed significant improvement (P<0.05). Among the SF-36 domains, the role-physical domain showed significant improvement after the first BT, and the general health domain showed significant improvement after the second. The voiding diaries showed statistically significant changes in maximal voided volume after the first BT, and nocturia index and nocturnal polyuria index after the second BT. According to the PPTB questionnaire, the perceived usefulness of BT increased after each session, and almost all of the patients replied that BT improved their symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrated that BT was effective in improving many OAB related symptoms and quality of life in patients with idiopathic OAB. More clinical application of BT could be implemented in the future.

Difference of gene expression profile in human gastric cancer grafted onto nude mice treated with WCA / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Chinese jianpi herbal recipe Weichangan (WCA) could increase the survival rate of advanced gastric cancer. This study was designed to investigate the molecular mechanism of WCA in treatment of gastric cancer by cDNA array, real-time quantitative PCR and immunohistochemical technique.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>A human gastric adenocarcinoma cell line SGC-7901 grafted onto nude mouse was used as the animal model. The mice were divided into 3 groups, one control and the two representing experimental conditions. Animals in the two experimental groups received either WCA over a 34-day period or 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) over 6-day period starting at 8th day after grafting. Control animals received saline on an identical schedule. Animals were killed 41 days after being grafted. To assess the effect of therapy tumor weight was determined by a electron balance immediately after the animals killed. SP immunohistochemical method was used to detect the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in xenografts. For detection of apoptotic cells, apoptotic indices (AI) were examined by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate fluorescence nick end labeling (TUNEL) method. SP method was also used to detect the expression of cleaved Caspase-3. The expression profiles in paired WCA treated gastric cancer samples and the N. S. control samples were studied by using a cDNA array representing 14, 181 cDNA clusters. The alterations in gene expression levels were confirmed by real-time quantitative PCR. SP method was used to detect the expression of Phospho-Stat3 (Tyr705) and bcl-2.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>When compared with controls, tumor growth was significantly inhibited by treatment with the WCA or 5-FU (P < 0.01, respectively). The average of tumor inhibitory rate in WCA group was (44.32 +/- 5.67)% and 5-FU (47.04 +/- 11.33)%. The average labeling index (LI) for PCNA in WCA group and 5-FU group was significantly decreased compared with the control group respectively. AI of human gastric cancer xenografts in nude mice was significantly increased to (9.72 +/- 4.51)% using TUNEL method in WCA group compared with the controls (2.45 +/- 1.37)%. 5-FU group was also found a significantly increased AI compared with the controls. The expression of cleaved Caspase-3 in WCA group and 5-FU group was significantly increased compared with the control group respectively. There were 45 different expression ESTs among the control sample pool and WCA sample pool. There were 24 ESTs up-regulated in WCA samples and 21 ESTs down-regulated. These 45 ESTs contains 35 cloned genes and 11 unknown ESTs. By using Real-time Quantitative PCR, the expression level of Stat3 (2(-deltadeltaCT) = 0.16) , RIPX (2(-deltadeltaCT) = 0.18), ROD1 (2(-deltadeltaCT) = 0.23) and bcl-2 (2 (-deltadeltaCT) = 0.10) was lower in WCA group than that in control group respectively. The expression of Phospho-Stat3 (Tyr705) and bcl-2 in WCA group and 5-FU group was significantly decreased compared with the control group respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Chinese jianpi herbal recipe WCA could inhibit gastric cancer cell SGC-7901 growth in vivo. WCA could induce gastric cancer cell apoptosis and suppress proliferation. Its mechanisms might be involved in the down-regulation of Stat3, RIPX, ROD1 and bcl-2 gene.</p>