Equol: a metabolite of gut microbiota with potential antitumor effects.

An increasing number of studies have shown that the consumption of soybeans and soybeans products is beneficial to human health, and the biological activity of soy products may be attributed to the presence of Soy Isoflavones (SI) in soybeans. In the intestinal tracts of humans and animals, certain specific bacteria can metabolize soy isoflavones into equol. Equol has a similar chemical structure to endogenous estradiol in the human body, which can bind with estrogen receptors and exert weak estrogen effects. Therefore, equol plays an important role in the occurrence and development of a variety of hormone-dependent malignancies such as breast cancer and prostate cancer. Despite the numerous health benefits of equol for humans, only 30-50% of the population can metabolize soy isoflavones into equol, with individual variation in gut microbiota being the main reason. This article provides an overview of the relevant gut microbiota involved in the synthesis of equol and its anti-tumor effects in various types of cancer. It also summarizes the molecular mechanisms underlying its anti-tumor properties, aiming to provide a more reliable theoretical basis for the rational utilization of equol in the field of cancer treatment.

A Reversible Neural Stem Cell Quiescence and Activation Culture System for Metabolic Study.

Stem cells in vivo can transit between quiescence and activation, two metabolically distinct states. It is increasingly appreciated that cell metabolism assumes profound roles in stem cell maintenance and tissue homeostasis. However, the lack of suitable models greatly hinders our understanding of the metabolic control of stem cell quiescence and activation. In the present study, we have utilized classical signaling pathways and developed a cell culture system to model reversible NSC quiescence and activation. Unlike activated ones, quiescent NSCs manifested distinct morphology characteristics, cell proliferation, and cell cycle properties but retained the same cell proliferation and differentiation potentials once reactivated. Further transcriptomic analysis revealed that extensive metabolic differences existed between quiescent and activated NSCs. Subsequent experimentations confirmed that NSC quiescence and activation transition was accompanied by a dramatic yet coordinated and dynamic shift in RNA metabolism, protein synthesis, and mitochondrial and autophagy activity. The present work not only showcases the broad utilities of this powerful in vitro NSC quiescence and activation culture system but also provides timely insights for the field and warrants further investigations.

The gut microbiota derived metabolite trimethylamine N-oxide: Its important role in cancer and other diseases.

An expanding body of research indicates a correlation between the gut microbiota and various diseases. Metabolites produced by the gut microbiota act as mediators between the gut microbiota and the host, interacting with multiple systems in the human body to regulate physiological or pathological functions. However, further investigation is still required to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. One such metabolite involved in choline metabolism by gut microbes is trimethylamine (TMA), which can traverse the intestinal epithelial barrier and enter the bloodstream, ultimately reaching the liver where it undergoes oxidation catalyzed by flavin-containing monooxygenase 3 (FMO3) to form trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO). While some TMAO is eliminated through renal excretion, remaining amounts circulate in the bloodstream, leading to systemic inflammation, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, mitochondrial stress, and disruption of normal physiological functions in humans. As a representative microbial metabolite originating from the gut, TMAO has significant potential both as a biomarker for monitoring disease occurrence and progression and for tailoring personalized treatment strategies for patients. This review provides an extensive overview of TMAO sources and its metabolism in human blood, as well as its impact on several major human diseases. Additionally, we explore the latest research areas related to TMAO along with future directions.

Single cell transcriptome profiling reveals cutaneous immune microenvironment remodeling by photodynamic therapy in photoaged skin.

Background: The immune microenvironment plays a critical role in maintaining skin homeostasis, which is closely related to the dysfunction in photoaged skin such as autoimmunity and tumorigenesis. Several recent studies have demonstrated the efficacy of 5-aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy (ALA-PDT) in alleviating photoaging and skin cancer. However, the underlying immune mechanisms and the immune microenvironment change by ALA-PDT remain largely unknown. Methods: To illustrate the effects of ALA-PDT on immune microenvironment in photoaged skin, single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis of photoaged skin on the extensor side of the human forearm before and after ALA-PDT was performed. R-packages of Seurat, clusterProfiler, Monocle, CellChat were used for cell clustering, differentially expressed genes analysis, functional annotation, pseudotime analysis and cell-cell communication analysis. The gene sets related to specific functions were extracted from the MSigDB database, which were used to score the functions of immune cells in different states. We also compared our result with published scRNA-seq data of photoaged skin of the eyelids. Results: The increase score of cellular senescence, hypoxia and reactive oxygen species pathway in immune cells and the decrease of immune receptor activity function and proportion of naive T cells were found in skin photoaging. Moreover, the function of T cell ribosomal synthesis was also impaired or down regulated and function of G2M checkpoint was up regulated. However, ALA-PDT showed promising results in reversing these effects, as it improved the above functions of T cells. The ratio of M1/M2 and percentage of Langerhans cells also decreased with photoaging and increased after ALA-PDT. Additionally, ALA-PDT restored the antigen presentation and migration function of dendritic cells and enhanced cell-cell communication among immune cells. These effects were observed to last for 6 months. Conclusion: ALA-PDT has potential to rejuvenate immune cells, partially reversed immunosenescence and improved the immunosuppressive state, ultimately remodelling the immune microenvironment in photoaged skin. These results provide an important immunological basis for further exploring strategies to reverse skin photoaging, chronological aging and potentially systemic aging.

Interferon-beta inhibits human glioma stem cell growth by modulating immune response and cell cycle related signaling pathways.

Malignant Glioma is characterized by strong self-renewal potential and immature differentiation potential. The main reason is that malignant glioma holds key cluster cells, glioma stem cells (GSCs). GSCs contribute to tumorigenesis, tumor progression, recurrence, and treatment resistance. Interferon-beta (IFN-ß) is well known for its anti-proliferative efficacy in diverse cancers. IFN-ß also displayed potent antitumor effects in malignant glioma. IFN-ß affect both GSCs and Neural stem cells (NSCs) in the treatment of gliomas. However, the functional comparison, similar or different effects of IFN-ß on GSCs and NSCs are rarely reported. Here, we studied the similarities and differences of the responses to IFN-ß between human GSCs and normal NSCs. We found that IFN-ß preferentially inhibited GSCs over NSCs. The cell body and nucleus size of GSCs increased after IFN-ß treatment, and the genomic analysis revealed the enrichment of the upregulated immune response, cell adhesion genes and down regulated cell cycle, ribosome pathways. Several typical cyclin genes, including cyclin A2 (CCNA2), cyclin B1 (CCNB1), cyclin B2 (CCNB2), and cyclin D1 (CCND1), were significantly downregulated in GSCs after IFN-ß stimulation. We also found that continuous IFN-ß stimulation after passage further enhanced the inhibitory effect. Our study revealed how genetic diversity resulted in differential effects in response to IFN-ß treatment. These results may contribute to improve the applications of IFN-ß in anti-cancer immunotherapy. In addition, these results may also help to design more effective pharmacological strategies to target cancer stem cells while protecting normal neural stem cells.

Differential susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 in the normal nasal mucosa and in chronic sinusitis.

Human nasal mucosa is susceptible to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and serves as a reservoir for viral replication before spreading to other organs (e.g. the lung and brain) and transmission to other individuals. Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a common respiratory tract disease and there is evidence suggesting that susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection differs between the two known subtypes, eosinophilic CRS and non-ECRS (NECRS). However, the mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the human nasal mucosa and its association with CRS has not been experimentally validated. In this study, we investigated whether the human nasal mucosa is susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection and how different endotypes of CRS impact on viral infection and progression. Primary human nasal mucosa tissue culture revealed highly efficient SARS-CoV-2 viral infection and production, with particularly high susceptibility in the NECRS group. The gene expression differences suggested that human nasal mucosa is highly susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection, presumably due to an increase in ACE2-expressing cells and a deficiency in antiviral immune response, especially for NECRS. Importantly, patients with NECRS may be at a particularly high risk of viral infection and transmission, and therefore, close monitoring should be considered.

Microneedle based adipose derived stem cells-derived extracellular vesicles therapy ameliorates UV-induced photoaging in SKH-1 mice.

Extracellular vesicles from adipose derived stem cells (ADSCs-EVs) have shown immunomodulation and anti-photoaging effects; however, the skin barrier prevents their absorption via skin. Meanwhile, microneedle (MN) is a widely used and minimally invasive tool for dermal delivery of drugs, it also has neocollagenesis effect by creating tiny injuries and initiating wound healing process. To investigate the effect of MN combined with ADSCs-EVs on skin aging, photoaging in SKH-1 mice was induced by chronic exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Then the mice were treated following a split-dorsal scheme, in which one side had MN alone or MN + EVs treatment and the other side was left untreated. For the side treated with MN alone or MN + EVs, the epidermal thickness was decreased and the skin barrier function was enhanced compared with the untreated side. However, MN + EVs group showed the least wrinkles, the highest collagen density and the most organized collagen fibers among the three groups. The level of CD11b + cell infiltration was lower in MN + EVs group than that in the MN group at 3 day after the treatment. These results indicated that MN treatment alone could improve epidermal structure and function of photoaging skin, and a combination with ADSCs-EVs would accelerate the restoration of inflammation caused by MN and improve the content of collagen. In all, this study indicated that a combination of MN and topical applied ADSCs-EVs was a feasible and safe strategy to ameliorate photoaging, providing a new avenue for safe administration of EVs.

p57Kip2 is a master regulator of human adipose derived stem cell quiescence and senescence.

Although human adipose derived stem cells (hADSCs) hold great promises for regenerative medicine, their key biological properties remain poorly understood. In particular, proliferation defects resulted from deep quiescence (dormancy) and senescence represent a major hurdle in hADSC production and clinical application. We have developed a model system for mechanistic dissection of hADSC quiescence and senescence. p57Kip2, a major CDK inhibitor, was highly expressed in quiescent and senescent hADSCs but its level quickly declined upon stem cell activation. p57Kip2 overexpression induced quiescence in spite of proliferative signals and its knockdown promoted cell cycle reentry even with induction of quiescence presumably through modulating the CDK2-CyclinE1 complex. Given its key role in quiescence and senescence, p57Kip2 may be exploited for innovative strategies to amplify hADSCs of high quality for clinics.

SIRT2 protects peripheral neurons from cisplatin-induced injury by enhancing nucleotide excision repair.

Platinum-based chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy is one of the most common causes of dose reduction and discontinuation of life-saving chemotherapy in cancer treatment; it often causes permanent impairment of quality of life in cancer patients. The mechanisms that underlie this neuropathy are not defined, and effective treatment and prevention measures are not available. Here, we demonstrate that SIRT2 protected mice against cisplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). SIRT2 accumulated in the nuclei of dorsal root ganglion sensory neurons and prevented neuronal cell death following cisplatin treatment. Mechanistically, SIRT2, an NAD+-dependent deacetylase, protected neurons from cisplatin cytotoxicity by promoting transcription-coupled nucleotide excision repair (TC-NER) of cisplatin-induced DNA cross-links. Consistent with this mechanism, pharmacological inhibition of NER using spironolactone abolished SIRT2-mediated TC-NER activity in differentiated neuronal cells and protection of neurons from cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity and CIPN in mice. Importantly, SIRT2's protective effects were not evident in lung cancer cells in vitro or in tumors in vivo. Taken together, our results identified SIRT2's function in the NER pathway as a key underlying mechanism of preventing CIPN, warranting future investigation of SIRT2 activation-mediated neuroprotection during platinum-based cancer treatment.

Antibacterial photodynamic therapy mediated by 5-aminolevulinic acid on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

The emergence of drug-resistant bacteria, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), has brought great difficulties to clinical treatment. Antibacterial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) is a new non-antibiotic treatment strategy for a variety of drug-resistant bacteria. However, there are few studies on the antimicrobial mechanism of a PDT mediated by 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA-PDT) for MRSA. In this study, we observed the bactericidal effect of ALA-PDT on MRSA. We found that ALA-PDT had the strongest bactericidal effect when ALA was at 0.05 mM, and the bactericidal activity of aPDT increased with the increase of light dose. MRSA was almost completely eliminated at 0.05 mM and 384 Jcm-2. In addition, the bactericidal morphology was also observed under a fluorescence microscope using a LIVE/DEAD® BacLight™ Bacterial Viability Kit and an electron microscope. It was also found that proteins and DNA were damaged by ALA-PDT. Finally, the transcription level of the specific gene of MRSA, nuc, was decreased by 0.74-fold (P < 0.05) after ALA-PDT treatment by qRT-PCR analysis. The findings suggest that ALA-PDT can effectively inhibit MRSA by damaging cell membrane, cytoplasm, proteins and nucleic acid.

Genome-wide open chromatin regions and their effects on the regulation of silk protein genes in Bombyx mori.

Nucleosome-depleted open chromatin regions (OCRs) often harbor transcription factor (TF) binding sites that are associated with active DNA regulatory elements. To investigate the regulation of silk-protein genes, DNA molecules isolated from the silk glands of third-day fifth-instar silkworm larvae and embryo-derived (BmE) cells were subjected to formal dehyde-assisted isolation of regulatory elements (FAIRE) and high-throughput sequencing. In total, 68,000 OCRs were identified, and a number of TF-binding motifs were predicted. In particular, OCRs located near silk-protein genes contained potential binding sites for functional TFs. Moreover, many TFs were found to bind to clusters of OCRs upstream of silk-protein genes, and to regulate the expression of these genes. The expression of silk protein genes may be related not only to regulating TFs (such as fkh, Bmdimm, and Bmsage), but also to developmental and hormone-induced TFs (such as zen, eve, Br, and eip74ef). Elucidation of genome-wide OCRs and their regulatory motifs in silk protein genes will provide valuable data and clues for characterizing the mechanisms of transcriptional control of silk protein genes.

Genome-Wide Analysis of Host Responses to Four Different Types of Microorganisms in Bombyx Mori (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae).

Several pathogenic microorganisms have been used to investigate the genome-wide transcriptional responses of Bombyx mori to infection. However, studies have so far each focused on one microorganism, and systematic genome-wide comparison of transcriptional responses to different pathogenic microorganisms has not been undertaken. Here, we surveyed transcriptional responses of B. mori to its natural bacterial, viral, and fungal pathogens, Bacillus bombyseptieus, B. mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV), and Beauveria bassiana, respectively, and to nonpathogenic Escherichia coli, by microarray analysis. In total, the expression of 2,436, 1,804, 1,743, and 912 B. mori genes was modulated by infection with B. bombyseptieus, BmNPV, B. bassiana, and E. coli, respectively. Notably, the expression of 620, 400, 177, or 165 of these genes was only modulated by infection with B. bombyseptieus, BmNPV, B. bassiana, or E. coli, respectively. In contrast to the expression of genes related to juvenile hormone synthesis and metabolism, that of genes encoding juvenile hormone binding proteins was microorganism-specific. Three basal metabolic pathways were modulated by infection with any of the four microorganisms, and 3, 14, 5, and 2 metabolic pathways were specifically modulated by infection with B. bombyseptieus, BmNPV, B. bassiana, and E. coli, respectively. Interestingly, BmNPV infection modulated the JAK/STAT signaling pathway, whereas both the Imd and Toll signaling pathways were modulated by infection with B. bombyseptieus, B. bassiana, or E. coli These results elucidate potential molecular mechanisms of the host response to different microorganisms, and provide a foundation for further work on host-pathogen interaction.

Bacillus bombysepticus α-Toxin Binding to G Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinase 2 Regulates cAMP/PKA Signaling Pathway to Induce Host Death.

Bacterial pathogens and their toxins target host receptors, leading to aberrant behavior or host death by changing signaling events through subversion of host intracellular cAMP level. This is an efficient and widespread mechanism of microbial pathogenesis. Previous studies describe toxins that increase cAMP in host cells, resulting in death through G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling pathways by influencing adenylyl cyclase or G protein activity. G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2) has a central role in regulation of GPCR desensitization. However, little information is available about the pathogenic mechanisms of toxins associated with GRK2. Here, we reported a new bacterial toxin-Bacillus bombysepticus (Bb) α-toxin that was lethal to host. We showed that Bb α-toxin interacted with BmGRK2. The data demonstrated that Bb α-toxin directly bound to BmGRK2 to promote death by affecting GPCR signaling pathways. This mechanism involved stimulation of Gαs, increase level of cAMP and activation of protein kinase A (PKA). Activated cAMP/PKA signal transduction altered downstream effectors that affected homeostasis and fundamental biological processes, disturbing the structural and functional integrity of cells, resulting in death. Preventing cAMP/PKA signaling transduction by inhibitions (NF449 or H-89) substantially reduced the pathogenicity of Bb α-toxin. The discovery of a toxin-induced host death specifically linked to GRK2 mediated signaling pathway suggested a new model for bacterial toxin action. Characterization of host genes whose expression and function are regulated by Bb α-toxin and GRK2 will offer a deeper understanding of the pathogenesis of infectious diseases caused by pathogens that elevate cAMP.

PC, a Novel Oral Insecticidal Toxin from Bacillus bombysepticus Involved in Host Lethality via APN and BtR-175.

Insect pests have developed resistance to chemical insecticides, insecticidal toxins as bioinsecticides or genetic protection built into crops. Consequently, novel, orally active insecticidal toxins would be valuable biological alternatives for pest control. Here, we identified a novel insecticidal toxin, parasporal crystal toxin (PC), from Bacillus bombysepticus (Bb). PC shows oral pathogenic activity and lethality towards silkworms and Cry1Ac-resistant Helicoverpa armigera strains. In vitro assays, PC after activated by trypsin binds to BmAPN4 and BtR-175 by interacting with CR7 and CR12 fragments. Additionally, trypsin-activated PC demonstrates cytotoxicity against Sf9 cells expressing BmAPN4, revealing that BmAPN4 serves as a functional receptor that participates in Bb and PC pathogenicity. In vivo assay, knocking out BtR-175 increased the resistance of silkworms to PC. These data suggest that PC is the first protein with insecticidal activity identified in Bb that is capable of causing silkworm death via receptor interactions, representing an important advance in our understanding of the toxicity of Bb and the contributions of interactions between microbial pathogens and insects to disease pathology. Furthermore, the potency of PC as an insecticidal protein makes it a good candidate for inclusion in integrated agricultural pest management systems.

Identification of a new Sprouty protein responsible for the inhibition of the Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus reproduction.

The rat sarcoma-extracellular signal regulated kinase mitogen-activated protein kinases pathway, one of the most ancient signaling pathways, is crucial for the defense against Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) infection. Sprouty (Spry) proteins can inhibit the activity of this pathway by receptor tyrosine kinases. We cloned and identified a new B. mori gene with a Spry domain similar to the Spry proteins of other organisms, such as fruitfly, mouse, human, chicken, Xenopus and zebrafish, and named it BmSpry. The gene expression analysis showed that BmSpry was transcribed in all of the examined tissues and in all developmental stages from embryo to adult. BmSpry also induced expression of BmNPV in the cells. Our results indicated: (1) the knock-down of BmSpry led to increased BmNPV replication and silkworm larvae mortality; (2) over-expression of BmSpry led to reduced BmNPV replication; and (3) BmSpry regulated the activation of ERK and inhibited BmNPV replication. These results showed that BmSpry plays a crucial role in the antiviral defense of the silkworm both in vitro and in vivo.

Complete Genome Sequence of Bacillus bombysepticus, a Pathogen Leading to Bombyx mori Black Chest Septicemia.

Bacillus bombysepticus is a Gram-positive spore-forming bacterium. Here, we announce the first complete genome sequence of this organism isolated from the cadavers of silkworm larvae that had been sick. The genome contains a single circular chromosome and a circular plasmid. Analyses of the B. bombysepticus genome will provide insights into its pathomechanisms and biology.

Structural, evolutionary and functional analysis of APN genes in the Lepidoptera Bombyx mori.

Aminopeptidases N (APNs), the receptors of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxin in the lepidopteran midgut, are involved in the Bt pathogen infection mechanism. In the present work, we screened 102 APNs from SilkDB, ButterflyBase and MonarchBase; 16 APNs were identified from the silkworm (Bombyx mori) and 24 from the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus). Syntenic and phylogenetic tree analysis showed that APN genes have developed multi-family genes before evolutionary divergence of the Lepidoptera. The tissue-expression pattern shows some BmAPNs are specifically or highly expressed in the midgut. Bacillus bombysepticus (Bb) is a specific pathogen of B. mori, leading to acute fuliginosa septicemia of the larva. BmAPNs were modulated by real time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis after Bb or Bt oral infection. There were different patterns of induced expression between Bb and Bt challenges, suggesting that B. mori has different responses to infection by the specific pathogen Bb and the nonspecific pathogen Bt. Research on BmAPNs will help us to better understand the evolutionary conservation and functions in Bb or Bt pathogen interaction with the host and to apply this knowledge in agricultural and forestry pest control.

A transgenic animal with antiviral properties that might inhibit multiple stages of infection.

Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) is the primary pathogen of silkworms, causing severe economic losses in sericulture. To create antiviral silkworm strains, we constructed a transgenic vector in which the dsRNA for five tandem BmNPV genes was controlled by the BmNPV hr3 enhancer and IE1 promoter. The antivirus gene Bmlipase-1 was driven by B. mori midgut-specific promoter P2. Transgenic strains (SW-H) were generated via embryo microinjection using the practical silkworm strain SW. After infection with a high dose of BmNPV, the survival rates of SW-H and non-transgenic SW were 64% and 13%, respectively. SW-H could be the first transgenic animal that is highly antiviral and that might inhibit the virus at multiple stages of infection.

Identification of a midgut-specific promoter in the silkworm Bombyx mori.

The midgut is an important organ for digestion and absorption of nutrients and immune defense in the silkworm Bombyx mori. In an attempt to create a tool for midgut research, we cloned the 1080 bp P2 promoter sequence (P2P) of a highly expressed midgut-specific gene in the silkworm. The transgenic line (P2) was generated via embryo microinjection, in which the expression of EGFP was driven by P2P. There was strong green fluorescence only in the midgut of P2. RT-PCR and Western blot showed that P2P was a midgut-specific promoter with activity throughout the larval stage. A transgenic truncation experiment suggested that regions -305 to -214 and +107 to +181 were very important for P2P activity. The results of this study revealed that we have identified a midgut-specific promoter with a high level of activity in the silkworm that will aid future research and application of silkworm genes.