Pore-forming toxin-like protein complex expressed by frog promotes tissue repair.

Tissue repair is a highly dynamic process, and the immediate onset of acute inflammation has been considered necessary for repair. Pore-forming proteins are important, both in pathogen invasion and host immunity. However, their roles in wound healing and tissue repair are unclear. ßγ-crystallin fused aerolysin-like protein (α-subunit) and trefoil factor (ß-subunit) complex (ßγ-CAT) is a complex of a bacterial pore-forming toxin aerolysin-like protein and trefoil factor identified in the frog Bombina maxima. In this study, we established mouse cutaneous wound models to explore the effects of ßγ-CAT on skin wound healing. ßγ-CAT accelerated the healing of full-thickness wounds by improving re-epithelialization. This complex relieved dermal edema and promoted scarless healing. ßγ-CAT treatment resulted in a rapid release of IL-1ß, which initiated an acute inflammation response in the early stage of healing. Meanwhile, the expression levels of TGF-ß1, VEGF, and bFGF and the recruitment of M2 macrophages around the wound significantly increased after ßγ-CAT treatment. ßγ-CAT protected skin wounds against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus by improving neutrophil recruitment at the site of the wound. Overall, our results suggest that ßγ-CAT can promote tissue repair and protect skin wounds against antibiotic-resistant bacterial infection by triggering the acute inflammatory response. This is the first example that aerolysin-like pore-forming proteins widely existing in plants and animals may act in wound healing and tissue repair.-Gao, Z.-H., Deng, C.-J., Xie, Y.-Y., Guo, X.-L., Wang, Q.-Q., Liu, L.-Z., Lee, W.-H., Li, S.-A., Zhang, Y. Pore-forming toxin-like protein complex expressed by frog promotes tissue repair.

[Effects of Tiam1 on invasion and metastasis of breast carcinoma and its mechanisms].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the significance of Tiam1 in invasion and metastasis of breast carcinoma and its mechanisms. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry was used to detect Tiam1 expression in tumor tissue of 126 breast carcinomas. Tiam1 was silenced by siRNA in breast carcinoma cell line MDA-MB-435, then the expressions of phosphor-ERK 1, ERK 2 and VEGF were detected, and electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) was used to examine the transcription activiy of AP-1. RESULTS: There was a significant relationship between Tiam1 expression and lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05). Furthermore, after silencing of Tiam1, the expressions of phosphor-ERK 1, ERK 2 and VEGF were decreased, and the transcription activity of AP-1 was down-regulated in the MDA-MB-435 cells. CONCLUSION: Tiam1 is closely related with invasion and metastasis of breast carcinoma, and the cascade Tiam1 through ERK, AP-1 and VEGF pathways may play an important role in enhancing angiogenesis, therefore, to promote invasion and metastasis of breast carcinoma.