Calcium Binding Protein S100A16 Expedites Proliferation, Invasion and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Process in Gastric Cancer.

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common malignant tumors of the digestive system, listed as the second cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. S100 Calcium Binding Protein A16 (S100A16) is an acidic calcium-binding protein associated with several types of tumor progression. However, the function of S100A16 in GC is still not very clear. In this study, we analyzed S100A16 expression with the GEPIA database and the UALCAN cancer database. Meanwhile, 100 clinical GC samples were used for the evaluation of its role in the prognostic analysis. We found that S100A16 is significantly upregulated in GC tissues and closely correlated with poor prognosis in GC patients. Functional studies reveal that S100A16 overexpression triggers GC cell proliferation and migration both in vivo and in vitro; by contrast, S100A16 knockdown restricts the speed of GC cell growth and mobility. Proteomic analysis results reveal a large S100A16 interactome, which includes ZO-2 (Zonula Occludens-2), a master regulator of cell-to-cell tight junctions. Mechanistic assay results indicate that excessive S100A16 instigates GC cell invasion, migration, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) via ZO-2 inhibition, which arose from S100A16-mediated ZO-2 ubiquitination and degradation. Our results not only reveal that S100A16 is a promising candidate biomarker in GC early diagnosis and prediction of metastasis, but also establish the therapeutic importance of targeting S100A16 to prevent ZO-2 loss and suppress GC metastasis and progression.

Gold nanoclusters-based chemiluminescence resonance energy transfer method for sensitive and label-free detection of trypsin.

A chemiluminescence resonance energy transfer (CRET) platform was developed for sensitive and label-free detection of protease by using trypsin as a model analyte. In this CRET platform, bis(2,4,6-trichlorophenyl)oxalate-hydrogen peroxide chemiluminescence (CL) reaction was utilized as an energy donor and bovine serum albumin (BSA)-stabilized gold nanoclusters (Au NCs) as an energy acceptor. The BSA-stabilized Au NCs triggered the CRET phenomenon by accepting the energy from TCPO-H2O2 CL reaction, thus producing intense CL. In the presence of trypsin, the protein template of BSA-stabilized Au NCs was digested, which frustrated the energy transfer efficiency between the CL donor and the BSA-stabilized Au NCs, leading to a significant decrease in the CL signal. The decreased CL signal was proportional to the logarithm of trypsin concentration in the range of 0.01-50.0µg mL(-1). The detection limit for trypsin was 9ng mL(-)(1) and the relative standard deviations were lesser than 3% (n=11). This Au NCs-based CRET platform was successfully applied to the determination of trypsin in human urine samples, demonstrating its potential application in clinical diagnosis.

Absolute configurations of four resorcylic acid lactones, paecilomycins J-M, by CD/TDDFT calculations.

The absolute configurations of four resorcylic acid lactones (RALs), paecilomycins J-M (1-3 and 5), were assigned by Time-Dependent Density-Functional Theory (TDDFT) calculations of their electronic circular dichroism (CD) spectra. The previously reported structure 4 for paecilomycin M was found to be incorrect and should be changed to structure 5. Analysis of structure-spectrum relationship for this group of RALs suggested that V'-shape conformations give type I CD spectra (two negative Cotton effects around 300 and 260 nm, a positive Cotton effect around 220 nm) while V-shape conformations yield type II spectra (signs of three Cotton effects were opposite to those in type I).

Effects of Extract from Mangifera indica Leaf on Monosodium Urate Crystal-Induced Gouty Arthritis in Rats.

The leaves of Mangifera indica L. (Anacardiaceae) is used as a medicinal material in traditional herb medicine for a long time in India, China, and other Eastern Asian countries. Our present study investigated the therapeutic effects of the ethanol extract from Mangifera indica (EMI) in rat with monosodium urate (MSU) crystals-induced gouty arthritis. Effects of EMI (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, p.o.) administrated for 9 days on the ankle swelling, synovial tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and interleukin-1beta (IL-1ß) levels were assessed in MSU crystal rat. Data from our study showed that rat with gouty arthritis induced by MSU crystal demonstrated an elevation in ankle swelling, synovial TNF-α, IL-1ß mRNA, and protein levels. Oral administration of 100 and 200 mg/kg EMI for 9 days reversed the abnormalities in ankle swelling, synovial TNF-α, IL-1ß mRNA, and protein levels. The results indicated that the beneficial antigouty arthritis effect of EMI may be mediated, at least in part, by inhibiting TNF-α and IL-1ß expression in the synovial tissues. Our study suggests that Mangifera indica and its extract may have a considerable potential for development as an anti-gouty arthritis agent for clinical application.