Genomic characterization and related functional genes of γ- poly glutamic acid producing Bacillus subtilis.

γ- poly glutamic acid (γ-PGA), a high molecular weight polymer, is synthesized by microorganisms and secreted into the extracellular space. Due to its excellent performance, γ-PGA has been widely used in various fields, including food, biomedical and environmental fields. In this study, we screened natto samples for two strains of Bacillus subtilis N3378-2at and N3378-3At that produce γ-PGA. We then identified the γ-PGA synthetase gene cluster (PgsB, PgsC, PgsA, YwtC and PgdS), glutamate racemase RacE, phage-derived γ-PGA hydrolase (PghB and PghC) and exo-γ-glutamyl peptidase (GGT) from the genome of these strains. Based on these γ-PGA-related protein sequences from isolated Bacillus subtilis and 181 B. subtilis obtained from GenBank, we carried out genotyping analysis and classified them into types 1-5. Since we found B. amyloliquefaciens LL3 can produce γ-PGA, we obtained the B. velezensis and B. amyloliquefaciens strains from GenBank and classified them into types 6 and 7 based on LL3. Finally, we constructed evolutionary trees for these protein sequences. This study analyzed the distribution of γ-PGA-related protein sequences in the genomes of B. subtilis, B. velezensis and B. amyloliquefaciens strains, then the evolutionary diversity of these protein sequences was analyzed, which provided novel information for the development and utilization of γ-PGA-producing strains.

PEGylated-PLGA Nanoparticles Coated with pH-Responsive Tannic Acid-Fe(III) Complexes for Reduced Premature Doxorubicin Release and Enhanced Targeting in Breast Cancer.

Biodegradable poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles (PLGA NPs) have been widely used as delivery vehicles for chemotherapy drugs. However, premature drug release in PLGA NPs can damage healthy tissue and cause serious adverse effects during systemic administration. Here, we report a tannic acid-Fe(III) (FeIII-TA) complex-modified PLGA nanoparticle platform (DOX-TPLGA NPs) for the tumor-targeted delivery of doxorubicin (DOX). A PEGylated-PLGA inner core and FeIII-TA complex outer shell were simultaneously introduced to reduce premature drug release in blood circulation and increase pH-triggered drug release in tumor tissue. Compared to the unmodified NPs, the initial burst rate of DOX-TPLGA NPs was significantly reduced by nearly 2-fold at pH 7.4. Moreover, the cumulative drug release rate at pH 5.0 was 40% greater than that at pH 7.4 due to the pH-response of the FeIII-TA complex. Cellular studies revealed that the TPLGA NPs had enhanced drug uptake and superior cytotoxicity of breast cancer cells in comparison to free DOX. Additionally, the DOX-TPLGA NPs efficiently accumulated in the tumor site of 4T1-bearing nude mice due to the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect and reached a tumor inhibition rate of 85.53 ± 8.77% (1.31-fold versus DOX-PLGA NPs and 3.12-fold versus free DOX). Consequently, the novel TPLGA NPs represent a promising delivery platform to enhance the safety and efficacy of chemotherapy drugs.

A novel liposome-polymer hybrid nanoparticles delivering a multi-epitope self-replication DNA vaccine and its preliminary immune evaluation in experimental animals.

DNA vaccine is an attractive immune platform for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, but existing disadvantages limit its use in preclinical and clinical assays, such as weak immunogenicity and short half-life. Here, we reported a novel liposome-polymer hybrid nanoparticles (pSFV-MEG/LNPs) consisting of a biodegradable core (mPEG-PLGA) and a hydrophilic shell (lecithin/PEG-DSPE-Mal 2000) for delivering a multi-epitope self-replication DNA vaccine (pSFV-MEG). The pSFV-MEG/LNPs with optimal particle size (161.61 ±â€¯15.63 nm) and high encapsulation efficiency (87.60 ±â€¯8.73%) induced a strong humoral (3.22-fold) and cellular immune responses (1.60-fold) compared to PBS. Besides, the humoral and cellular immune responses of pSFV-MEG/LNPs were 1.58- and 1.05-fold than that of pSFV-MEG. All results confirmed that LNPs was a very promising tool to enhance the humoral and cellular immune responses of pSFV-MEG. In addition, the rational design and delivery platform can be used for the development of DNA vaccines for other infectious diseases.

Transforming growth factor-ß signaling, a potential mechanism associated with diabetes mellitus and pancreatic cancer?

Pancreatic cancer is a common malignant digestive disease. Epidemiological and clinical studies have demonstrated that pancreatic cancer is closely related to diabetes mellitus. Diabetic patients are more likely to develop pancreatic cancer, which is linked with poor outcomes. Pancreatic cancer is complicated with abnormal blood sugar and insulin resistance and promotes the development of diabetes mellitus. Understanding the molecular mechanisms linking diabetes mellitus and pancreatic cancer is essential for the treatment of diabetes cancer patients. The transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) signaling pathway is deregulated in cancer and has a dual role in different stages of cancer as a suppressor or a promoter. More important, The TGF-ß signaling pathway is also another important reason for diabetic complications. This review summarizes the relationship between diabetes and pancreatic cancer, in particular, focusing on the role of the TGF-ß signaling pathway. It is possible to find drugs like metformin that can prevent and treat pancreatic cancer by targeting the TGF-ß signaling pathway.

Epithelial V-like antigen 1 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma growth and metastasis via the ERBB-PI3K-AKT pathway.

The role of epithelial V-like antigen 1 (EVA1) has been well studied in thymic development and homostasis; however, its putative relationship with cancer remains largely unknown. Therefore, here we investigated the role of EVA1 in hepatocellular carcinoma. Interestingly, EVA1 expression was significantly increased in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and was also associated with a poor prognosis and recurrence in HCC patients. Overexpression of EVA1 promoted cell growth, invasion and migration in vitro. Consistently, knockdown of EVA1 expression inhibited proliferation and migration in vitro, while repressing metastasis of HCC cells in vivo. RNA-seq analysis indicated that EVA1 is able to upregulate the expression of genes in the ERBB3-PI3K pathway. Accordingly, an increased level of AKT phosphorylation was detected in HCC cells after EVA1 overexpression. LY294002, a PI3K inhibitor, inhibited AKT phosphorylation and rescued the tumor-promoting effect of EVA1 overexpression. Altogether, the present study has revealed the oncogenic role of EVA1 during HCC progression and metastasis through the ERBB-PI3K-AKT signaling pathway, reiterating the potential use of EVA1 as a therapeutic target and/or prognostic marker for HCC.

ABA-responsive transcription factor bZIP1 is involved in modulating biosynthesis of phenolic acids and tanshinones in Salvia miltiorrhiza.

Phenolic acids and tanshinones are major bioactive ingredients in Salvia miltiorrhiza, which possess pharmacological activities with great market demand. However, transcriptional regulation of phenolic acid and tanshinone biosynthesis remains poorly understood. Here, a basic leucine zipper transcription factor (TF) named SmbZIP1 was screened from the abscisic acid (ABA)-induced transcriptome library. Overexpression of SmbZIP1 positively promoted phenolic acid biosynthesis by enhancing expression of biosynthetic genes such as cinnamate-4-hydroxylase (C4H1). Furthermore, biochemical experiments revealed that SmbZIP1 bound the G-Box-like1 element in the promoter of the C4H1 gene. Meanwhile, SmbZIP1 inhibited accumulation of tanshinones mainly by suppressing the expression of biosynthetic genes including geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase (GGPPS) which was confirmed as a target gene by in vitro and in vivo experiments. In contrast, the phenolic acid content was reduced and tanshinone was enhanced in CRISPR/Cas9 [clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9]-mediated knockout lines. In addition, the previously reported positive regulator of tanshinone biosynthesis, SmERF1L1, was found to be inhibited in SmbZIP1 overexpression lines indicated by RNA sequencing, and was proven to be the target of SmbZIP1. In summary, this work uncovers a novel regulator and deepens our understanding of the transcriptional and regulatory mechanisms of phenolic acid and tanshinone biosynthesis, and also sheds new light on metabolic engineering in S. miltiorrhiza.

SmMYB2 promotes salvianolic acid biosynthesis in the medicinal herb Salvia miltiorrhiza.

MYB transcription factors play vital roles in plant growth and metabolism. The phytohormone methyl jasmonate (MeJA) promotes phenolic acid accumulation in the medicinal herb Salvia miltiorrhiza, but the regulatory mechanism is poorly understood. Here, we identified the MeJA-responsive R2R3-MYB transcription factor gene SmMYB2 from a transcriptome library produced from MeJA-treated S. miltiorrhiza hairy roots. SmMYB2 expression was tightly correlated with the expression of key salvianolic acid biosynthetic genes including CYP98A14. SmMYB2 was highly expressed in the periderm of S. miltiorrhiza and SmMYB2 localized to the nucleus. Overexpressing SmMYB2 in S. miltiorrhiza hairy roots significantly increased the levels of salvianolic acids (including rosmarinic acid and salvianolic acid B) by upregulating salvianolic acid biosynthetic genes such as CYP98A14. SmMYB2 binds to the MYB-binding motifs in the promoter of CYP98A14, as confirmed by a dual-luciferase assay and electrophoretic mobility shift assays. Anthocyanin contents were significantly higher in SmMYB2-overexpressing hairy root lines than the control, primarily due to the increased expression of CHI, DFR, and ANS. These findings reveal the novel regulatory role of SmMYB2 in MeJA-mediated phenolic acid biosynthesis, providing a useful target gene for metabolic engineering and shedding light on the salvianolic acid regulatory network.

Recombinant expression, purification and bioactivity characterization of extracellular domain of human tumor necrosis factor receptor 1.

The interaction between TNF-α with TNFR1 triggers important signaling pathways inducing diverse cellular phenomena including inflammation, apoptosis, etc., and is involved in the pathogenesis and progression of numerous autoimmune diseases. The extracellular domain (ECD) of TNFR has been successfully used to clinically treat such TNF-associated diseases. However, large-scale production of these biological material via eukaryotic cell expression systems is usually costly owing to the culture medium and complicated growth conditions. This study aimed to extract pure soluble human TNFR1-ECD and investigate its biological activity, using a prokaryotic expression system. Recombinant vector pMCSG7-TNFR1-ECD was constructed via ligation-independent cloning. The His-tag fusion protein was expressed in E. coli and localized in inclusion bodies. Recombinant TNFR1-ECD was refolded and purified via nickel-affinity chromatography, tag cleavage, followed by cation-exchange chromatography or size-exclusion chromatography. A purity of over 95% and a yield of 9.3 mg protein per liter of bacterial culture media was obtained. The purified protein showed significant affinity of 2.15 nM towards human TNF-α and inhibited TNF-α-mediated cytotoxicity in L929 cells, with an ED50 of 0.10 µg/ml. It formed a self-associated oligomer with a KD of 1.15 µM, detected via microscale thermophoresis. We thus established a highly efficient approach to construct, express, and purify the recombinant protein of human TNFR1-ECD from a prokaryotic system. The antagonistic bioactivities in vitro indicate this protein as a prospective molecules for drug research against autoimmune diseases characterized by TNF-α overexpression.

Cloning, expression, purification and bioactivity evaluation of a thrombin-like enzyme from Deinagkistrodon acutus venom gland library.

OBJECTIVES: To identify a new member of serine proteases from Deinagkistrodon acutus via phage display technique and appraise its biocatalytic activities. RESULTS: A novel thrombin-like enzyme gene was cloned by screening the phage display library of D. acutus venom gland. The gene has a 783 bp ORF encoding 260 amino acids. A recombinant enzyme expression vector was constructed and the fused protein was expressed in Escherichia coli. The protein was purified showing a single band of approx. 49.4 kDa after SDS-PAGE. The recombinant enzyme was capable of congealing normal human plasma in vitro with the minimum coagulant dose of 6 µg in 57 s. It exhibited fibrinogenolytic activity by hydrolyzing the Aα-chain of human fibrinogen. It was most active at pH 7.5-8.0 and 35-40 °C with the highest clotting activity of 120 NIH units/mg. It was completely inhibited by PMSF but not by EDTA. Multiple sequence alignments demonstrate that this protein shares high identity with other thrombin-like enzymes from snake venoms. CONCLUSIONS: A novel thrombin-like protein from D. acutus venom was identified, expressed and biologically characterized in vitro. Its fibrinogenolytic properties make the enzyme applicable for biochemical research and drug development on thrombolytic therapy.

Screen for Inhibitors of Crystal Growth to Identify Desirable Carriers for Amorphous Solid Dispersions Containing Felodipine.

The solvent-shift method was used to identify appropriate polymers that inhibit the growth of felodipine crystals by monitoring particle size in supersaturated drug solutions in the presence of different polymers. We speculated that there would be an intermolecular interaction between the selected polymer (zein) and felodipine by extrapolating the inhibitory effect on crystal growth and then used the selected polymer as a carrier to prepare solid dispersions. The formulations were characterized by crystalline properties, thermodynamics of mixing, dissolution behavior, and physical stability. Powder x-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry experiments indicated that amorphous solid dispersions were formed when the proportion of felodipine was < 30% (w/w). Stability tests showed that a solid dispersion with 20% felodipine remained in an amorphous state and was stable under accelerated storage conditions for 6 months. The dissolution rates of solid dispersions were significantly greater than those of the active pharmaceutical ingredient or physical mixtures. Analysis by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and Raman microspectroscopy indicated the formation of intermolecular interactions between zein and felodipine. The study demonstrates the successful application of the chosen polymer as a carrier in solid dispersions and validates the concept of extrapolating the inhibitory effect on crystal growth to intermolecular interactions.

pH-sensitive pHluorins as a molecular sensor for in situ monitoring of enzyme-catalyzed prodrug activation.

This work examines the feasibility of using a pH-sensitive fluorescent protein as a molecular reporter for enzyme-catalyzed prodrug activation reaction. Specifically, a ratiometric pHluorins was examined for detection of the activity of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) for the activation of indole-3-acetic acid. The pHluorins and HRP were conjugated chemically, forming a biocatalyst with a self-reporting function. Results showed that the characteristic fluorescence intensity ratio of the conjugate shifted from 1.47 to 1.40 corresponding to the progress of the prodrug activation reaction. The effectiveness of applying the conjugate for inhibition of the growth of Bcap-37 cells was also demonstrated simultaneously with reaction monitoring. The results reveal a very promising approach to realizing in situ monitoring of enzyme activities based on pH shifting for enzyme-based prodrug therapy applications.

Design and screening of a chimeric survivin-specific nanobody and its anticancer activities in vitro.

Survivin is a strong inhibitor of apoptosis protein and a promising target for cancer prevention and treatment. Here, we report the design and preparation of novel chimeric nanobodies (Nbs) that could specifically bind to survivin. We screened the peptides from phage-displayed libraries (7-mer, 12-mer) for nonconserved sequences of complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) in the scaffold of the Nb. By a combination of the nonconserved sequences for CDRs, the corresponding chimeric Nbs (10 Nbs) were prepared with genetic operations. The antisurvivin Nb TAT-Nb4A (a fusion with cellular transduction peptide TAT) was found to be the most efficient antibody on the basis of the results from enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, MTT, and flow cytometry when these nanobodies were tested with hepatoma carcinoma cell HepG2. TAT-Nb4A could inhibit the growth of HepG2 and promote cancer cell apoptosis significantly in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner: the apoptosis rate reached 52.5% when the concentration of TAT-Nb4A was 120 µg/ml. Western blotting with cells expressing survivin showed that the prepared nanobody could efficiently bind to expressed survivin and blocked the signaling pathway in which survivin played a role. This study provided a convenient and feasible method of obtaining a novel specific Nb with the case of survivin as a good example.

Discovery of the cell-penetrating function of A2 domain derived from LTA subunit of Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin.

Heat-labile enterotoxin (LT) is a protein toxin produced by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC). As a bacterial toxin, LT holotoxin can enter intestinal epithelial cells and cause diarrhea. In addition, LT is also a powerful mucosal adjuvant capable of enhancing the strong immune responses to co-administered antigens. However, the LT immunological mechanism is still not clear in some aspects, especially with the respect to how the LTA subunit functions alone. Here, we discovered that the A2 domain of LTA could carry a fluorescent protein into cells, whose function is similar to a cell-penetrating peptide. The transmembrane-transporting ability of the A2 domain is non-specific in its cell-penetrating function, which was shown through testing with different cell types. Moreover, the LTA2 fusion protein penetrated a fluorescently labeled cell membrane that identified LTA2 internalization through membrane transport pathways, and showed it finally localized in the endoplasmic reticulum. Furthermore, low-temperature stress and pharmacological agent treatments showed that the LTA2 internalization route is a temperature-dependent process involving the clathrin-mediated endocytosis and the macropinocytosis pathways. These results could explain the internalization of the LTA subunit alone without the LTB pentamer, contributing to a better understanding of LTA working as a mucosal adjuvant; they also suggest that the A2 domain could be used as a novel transport vehicle for research and treatment of disease.

Spatially programmed assembling of oxidoreductases with single-stranded DNA for cofactor-required reactions.

Cofactor is especially important for biotransformation catalyzed by oxidoreductases. Many attempts in enhancing performance of the reactions by improving cofactor utilization have been reported. In this study, efficiency of cofactor-requiring biocatalysis was enhanced by improving cofactor recycling via spatially programmed assembling glycerol dehydrogenase (GlyDH, Escherichia coli MG1655) and glutamate dehydrogenase (GluDH, Bacillus subtilis str168), with the aid of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA). The two enzymes were first independently expressed as molecules fused with a phage protein A* that could covalently link ssDNA with certain features. After an enzymatic cross-linking reaction taking place under mild conditions, the conjugate of fused enzyme and ssDNA was assembled into desired structures through base pairing enabled by the ssDNA. Results showed that, to some extent, the fusion with protein A* could improve the specific activity of the enzymes (GlyDH-A*/GlyDH = 116.0 %; GluDH-A*/GluDH = 105.2 %). Additionally, in the coupled reaction system with glycerol and α-ketoglutaric acid as substrates, regarding the production of glutamic acid based on HPLC analysis, the efficiency of cofactor utilization was significantly enhanced (by 23.8- to 41.9-folds), indicating the existence of a substrate-channeling mechanism for cofactor utilization in the assembled reaction system due to the proximity effects. The degree of substrate channeling was calculated as from 1.65 to 1.73. Furthermore, the efficiency of cofactor utilization was influenced in an architecture-dependent manner when complexes with different stoichiometry of GlyDH and GluDH were utilized in biotransformation. This study demonstrated a novel strategy of cofactor recycling for enhanced performance of coupled oxidoreductive reactions.

Preparation of lignin-based full-color carbon quantum dots and their multifunctionalization with waterborne polyurethanes.

Lignin is a popular material for energy transition and high-value utilization due to its low cost, non-toxicity, renewability, and widespread availability. However, its complex structure has hindered its application. Waterborne polyurethane (WPU) uses water as a dispersion medium, which is safer for humans and the environment but also leads to disadvantages such as poor mechanical properties and water resistance. In this study, we prepared multicolor photoluminescent carbon quantum dots (CQDs) in a wide range of wavelengths from lignin. We successfully prepared panchromatic CQDs by additive mixing. The redshift of the emission wavelength is attributed to the synergistic effect of the sp2 conjugated structure and the surface functional groups. The full-color solid-state luminescence of the CQDs was successfully achieved, and most importantly, the application of full-color CQDs in light-emitting diodes was realized. Moreover, the embedding of the multicolor CQDs in WPU not only makes WPU luminescent but also improves the water resistance and mechanical properties of WPUs. The hydrogen-bonding interactions between the functional groups on the surface of the CQDs and the urethane were responsible for the high performance of the composite. We investigated the UV and strong blue light shielding abilities of WPU/yellow CQDs films, which resulted from the unique absorption peaks of yellow CQDs in the UV region and the strong blue light region. This work provides an efficient method for the high-value utilization of biomass materials and paves the way for the multifunctional application of WPU.

Screening and construction of nanobodies against human CD93 using phage libraries and study of their antiangiogenic effects.

Background: Cluster of Differentiation 93 (CD93) plays an important role in angiogenesis and is considered an important target for inhibiting tumor angiogenesis, but there are currently no therapeutic antibodies against CD93 in the clinic. Thus, we describe the screening of novel nanobodies (Nbs) targeting human CD93 from a phage library of shark-derived Nbs. Methods: Screening and enrichment of phage libraries by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Anti-CD93 Nbs were purified by expression in E. coli. The binding affinity of anti-CD93 Nbs NC81/NC89 for CD93 was examined by flow cytometry (FC) and ELISA. The thermal stability of NC81/NC89 was examined by ELISA and CD spectroscopy. Afterward, the anti-angiogenic ability of NC81/NC89 was examined by MTT, wound healing assay, and tube formation assay. The expression level of VE-cadherin (VE-Ca) and CD93 was detected by Western Blot (WB). The binding sites and binding forms of NC81/NC89 to CD93 were analyzed by molecular docking. Results: The anti-CD93 Nbs were screened in a phage library, expressed in E. coli, and purified to >95% purity. The results of FC and ELISA showed that NC81/NC89 have binding ability to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The results of ELISA and CD spectroscopy showed that NC81/NC89 retained the ability to bind CD93 at 80°C and that the secondary structure remained stable. In vitro, the results showed that NC81 and NC89 significantly inhibited the proliferation and migration of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) as well as tube formation on Matrigel. Western Blot showed that NC81 and NC89 also inhibited the expression of VE-Ca thereby increasing vascular permeability. It was found during molecular docking that the CDR regions of NC81 and NC89 could be attached to CD93 by strong hydrogen bonds and salt bridges, and the binding sites were different. Conclusion: We have successfully isolated NC81 and NC89, which bind CD93, and both Nbs significantly inhibit angiogenesis and increase vascular permeability. These results suggest that NC81 and NC89 have potential clinical applications in angiogenesis-related therapies.

The assessment of circulating tumor DNA associated with Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway as a diagnostic tool for liver cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in peripheral blood has become a promising noninvasive biomarker. However, the diagnostic potential of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway-related ctDNA for liver cancer is controversial. Here, we aimed to access the diagnostic potential and clinicopathological features of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway-related ctDNA in liver cancer and provide data support for its clinical diagnosis and treatment. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was conducted to identify the relevant studies. The methodological quality of the included studies was evaluated using the QUADAS-2 tool. The bivariate linear mixed models were used. RESULTS: The AUC (area under the curve), pooled sensitivity and specificity were 0.77, 0.42 and 0.98, respectively. The findings suggested that control type, sample source, research methods and thresholds were the potential sources of heterogeneity (p < 0.05). Additionally, this study also found that there were significant correlations between the hypermethylation of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway-related ctDNA and tumor size, TNM stage, distant metastasis, and HBV infection(p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study confirmed that Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway-related ctDNA had the better diagnostic potential for liver cancer and might be an effective complementary tool for serum AFP assays in the early diagnosis of liver cancer. PROSPERO: (No. CRD42023404984).[Figure: see text].

Development of a synthetic library of humanized nanobodies for targeted IL-6 inhibition.

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a cytokine that can bind to IL-6 receptor and induce pleiotropic effects. It serves as a critical biomarker, involved in inflammation amplification, tumor progression, and many other disease developments. Nanobodies, featuring small structure and high affinity, are a powerful and versatile tool in medical diagnostics and therapeutics. Here, based on a scaffold optimized for humanization and stability, we developed a synthetic phage display library that rapidly generated high-affinity and humanized nanobodies, negating the need for animal immunization. Using enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) as a benchmark, we demonstrated that the library produced humanized nanobodies with high function and great intracellular stability. The library was then subjected to screening against IL-6. We identified a standout nanobody, NbL3, which exhibited high affinity (22.16 nM) and stability and significantly inhibited IL-6-enhanced migration on the human breast cancer cell MCF-7 at a relatively low concentration. NbL3's strong blocking activity provides a promising therapeutic alternative for the IL-6-targeted intervention strategy, underscoring the broader potential of our synthetic library as a versatile platform for the development of humanized nanobodies against multiple antigens.

Split-Cas9-based targeted gene editing and nanobody-mediated proteolysis-targeting chimeras optogenetically coordinated regulation of Survivin to control the fate of cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: Precise regulation of partial critical proteins in cancer cells, such as anti-apoptotic proteins, is one of the crucial strategies for treating cancer and discovering related molecular mechanisms. Still, it is also challenging in actual research and practice. The widely used CRISPR/Cas9-based gene editing technology and proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) have played an essential role in regulating gene expression and protein function in cells. However, the accuracy and controllability of their targeting remain necessary. METHODS: Construction of UMUC-3-EGFP stable transgenic cell lines using the Sleeping Beauty system, Flow cytometry, quantitative real-time PCR, western blot, fluorescence microplate reader and fluorescence inverted microscope analysis of EGFP intensity. Characterization of Survivin inhibition was done by using Annexin V-FITC/PI apoptosis, calcein/PI/DAPI cell viability/cytotoxicity assay, cloning formation assay and scratch assay. The cell-derived xenograft (CDX) model was constructed to assess the in vivo effects of reducing Survivin expression. RESULTS: Herein, we established a synergistic control platform that coordinated photoactivatable split-Cas9 targeted gene editing and light-induced protein degradation, on which the Survivin gene in the nucleus was controllably edited by blue light irradiation (named paCas9-Survivin) and simultaneously the Survivin protein in the cytoplasm was degraded precisely by a nanobody-mediated target (named paProtacL-Survivin). Meanwhile, in vitro experiments demonstrated that reducing Survivin expression could effectively promote apoptosis and decrease the proliferation and migration of bladder cancerous cells. Furthermore, the CDX model was constructed using UMUC-3 cell lines, results from animal studies indicated that both the paCas9-Survivin system and paProtacL-Survivin significantly inhibited tumour growth, with higher inhibition rates when combined. CONCLUSIONS: In short, the coordinated regulatory strategies and combinable technology platforms offer clear advantages in controllability and targeting, as well as an excellent reference value and universal applicability in controlling the fate of cancer cells through multi-level regulation of key intracellular factors.

Construction and application of a multifunctional CHO cell platform utilizing Cre/lox and Dre/rox site-specific recombination systems.

During the development of traditional Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell lines, target genes randomly integrate into the genome upon entering the nucleus, resulting in unpredictable productivity of cell clones. The characterization and screening of high-yielding cell lines is a time-consuming and expensive process. Site-specific integration is recognized as an effective approach for overcoming random integration and improving production stability. We have designed a multifunctional expression cassette, called CDbox, which can be manipulated by the site-specific recombination systems Cre/lox and Dre/rox. The CDbox expression cassette was inserted at the Hipp11(H11) locus hotspot in the CHO-K1 genome using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, and a compliant CHO-CDbox cell platform was screened and obtained. The CHO-CDbox cell platform was transformed into a pool of EGFP-expressing cells using Cre/lox recombinase-mediated cassette exchange (RMCE) in only 2 weeks, and this expression remained stable for at least 75 generations without the need for drug stress. Subsequently, we used the Dre/rox system to directly eliminate the EGFP gene. In addition, two practical applications of the CHO-CDbox cell platform were presented. The first was the quick construction of the Pembrolizumab antibody stable expression strain, while the second was a protocol for the integration of surface-displayed and secreted antibodies on CHO cells. The previous research on site-specific integration of CHO cells has always focused on the single functionality of insertion of target genes. This newly developed CHO cell platform is expected to offer expanded applicability for protein production and gene function studies.