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2.
Sci Total Environ ; 927: 172037, 2024 Jun 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38575003

ABSTRACT

Despite increasing concerns regarding the harmful effects of plastic-induced gut injury, mechanisms underlying the initiation of plastic-derived intestinal toxicity remain unelucidated. Here, mice were subjected to long-term exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) of varying sizes (80, 200, and 1000 nm) at doses relevant to human dietary exposure. PS-NPs exposure did not induce a significant inflammatory response, histopathological damage, or intestinal epithelial dysfunction in mice at a dosage of 0.5 mg/kg/day for 28 days. However, PS-NPs were detected in the mouse intestine, coupled with observed microstructural changes in enterocytes, including mild villous lodging, mitochondrial membrane rupture, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) dysfunction, suggesting that intestinal-accumulating PS-NPs resulted in the onset of intestinal epithelial injury in mice. Mechanistically, intragastric PS-NPs induced gut microbiota dysbiosis and specific bacteria alterations, accompanied by abnormal metabolic fingerprinting in the plasma. Furthermore, integrated data from mass spectrometry imaging-based spatial metabolomics and metallomics revealed that PS-NPs exposure led to gut dysbiosis-associated host metabolic reprogramming and initiated intestinal injury. These findings provide novel insights into the critical gut microbial-host metabolic remodeling events vital to nanoplastic-derived-initiated intestinal injury.


Subject(s)
Gastrointestinal Microbiome , Intestinal Mucosa , Polystyrenes , Animals , Polystyrenes/toxicity , Mice , Intestinal Mucosa/metabolism , Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects , Nanoparticles/toxicity , Dysbiosis/chemically induced , Microplastics/toxicity
4.
Science ; 382(6674): eadg8940, 2023 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38033071

ABSTRACT

The origins of maize were the topic of vigorous debate for nearly a century, but neither the current genetic model nor earlier archaeological models account for the totality of available data, and recent work has highlighted the potential contribution of a wild relative, Zea mays ssp. mexicana. Our population genetic analysis reveals that the origin of modern maize can be traced to an admixture between ancient maize and Zea mays ssp. mexicana in the highlands of Mexico some 4000 years after domestication began. We show that variation in admixture is a key component of maize diversity, both at individual loci and for additive genetic variation underlying agronomic traits. Our results clarify the origin of modern maize and raise new questions about the anthropogenic mechanisms underlying dispersal throughout the Americas.


Subject(s)
Crops, Agricultural , Domestication , Hybridization, Genetic , Zea mays , Mexico , Phenotype , Zea mays/genetics , Genetic Variation , Crops, Agricultural/genetics
5.
ACS Appl Mater Interfaces ; 15(23): 27774-27788, 2023 Jun 14.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37278364

ABSTRACT

Albeit numerous studies have been conducted on the toxicity evaluation of engineered metal nanoparticles (NPs), significant knowledge gaps remain regarding the influence of oral exposure to metal NPs on the intestine system, especially the effects on the intestinal immune microenvironment. Herein, we examined the long-term effects of representative engineered metal NPs on the intestine through oral exposure and identified silver NPs (Ag NPs) that resulted in severe damage. Oral Ag NP exposure damaged the epithelial structure, reduced the thickness of the mucosal layer, and altered the intestinal microbiota. Particularly, the reduced thickness of the mucosal layer increased the phagocytosis of Ag NPs by dendritic cells (DCs). Comprehensive animal and in vitro experiments unraveled that Ag NPs directly interacted with DCs, resulting in the abnormal activation of DCs by generating reactive oxygen species and inducing uncontrolled apoptosis. Furthermore, our data unveiled that the interactions between Ag NPs and DCs reduced the proportion of CD103+CD11b+ DCs and induced Th17 cell activation with inhibition of regulatory T-cell differentiation, resulting in the disordered immune microenvironment in the intestine. Collectively, these results represent a new point of view on the cytotoxicity of Ag NPs on the intestine system. This study provides additional insights into the health risks of engineered metal NPs, especially Ag NPs.


Subject(s)
Metal Nanoparticles , Silver , Animals , Silver/toxicity , Silver/chemistry , Metal Nanoparticles/toxicity , Metal Nanoparticles/chemistry , Reactive Oxygen Species , Intestines , CD11b Antigen
6.
ACS Nano ; 17(12): 11838-11854, 2023 06 27.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37310898

ABSTRACT

Although therapeutic targets have been developed for colorectal cancer (CRC) therapy, the therapeutic effects are not ideal and the survival rate for CRC patients remains poor. Therefore, it is crucial to recognize a specific target and develop an efficacious delivery system for CRC therapy. Herein, we demonstrate that reduced ALKBH5 mediates aberrant m6A modification and tumor progression in CRC. Mechanically, histone deacetylase 2-mediated H3K27 deacetylation inhibits ALKBH5 transcription in CRC, whereas ectopic ALKBH5 expression decreases tumorigenesis of CRC cells and protects mice from colitis-associated tumor development. Further, METTL14/ALKBH5/IGF2BPs combine to modulate JMJD8 stability in an m6A-dependent manner, which increases glycolysis and accelerates the development of CRC by enhancing the enzymatic activity of PKM2. Moreover, ALKBH5 mRNA-loaded folic acid-modified exosome-liposome hybrid nanoparticles were synthesized and significantly inhibit the progression of CRC in preclinical tumor models by modulating the ALKBH5/JMJD8/PKM2 axis and inhibiting glycolysis. Overall, our research confirms the crucial function of ALKBH5 in regulating the m6A status in CRC and provides a direct preclinical approach for using ALKBH5 mRNA nanotherapeutics for CRC.


Subject(s)
Colorectal Neoplasms , Exosomes , Mice , Animals , RNA, Messenger/genetics , RNA, Messenger/metabolism , Liposomes , Exosomes/metabolism , Carcinogenesis , Colorectal Neoplasms/drug therapy , Colorectal Neoplasms/genetics , Colorectal Neoplasms/metabolism
7.
Nano Lett ; 23(5): 1970-1980, 2023 03 08.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36802650

ABSTRACT

Oncogenic-driven lipogenic metabolism is a common hallmark of colorectal cancer (CRC) progression. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop novel therapeutic strategies for metabolic reprogramming. Herein, the metabolic profiles in the plasma between CRC patients and paired healthy controls were compared using metabolomics assays. Matairesinol downregulation was evident in CRC patients, and matairesinol supplementation significantly represses CRC tumorigenesis in azoxymethane/dextran sulfate sodium (AOM/DSS) colitis-associated CRC mice. Matairesinol rewired lipid metabolism to improve the therapeutic efficacy in CRC by inducing mitochondrial damage and oxidative damage and blunting ATP production. Finally, matairesinol-loaded liposomes significantly promoted the enhanced antitumor activity of 5-Fu/leucovorin combined with oxaliplatin (FOLFOX) in CDX and PDX mouse models by restoring chemosensitivity to the FOLFOX regimen. Collectively our findings highlight matairesinol-mediated lipid metabolism reprogramming as a novel druggable strategy to restore CRC chemosensitivity, and this nanoenabled approach for matairesinol will improve the chemotherapeutic efficacy with good biosafety.


Subject(s)
Colitis , Colorectal Neoplasms , Mice , Animals , Colorectal Neoplasms/drug therapy , Colorectal Neoplasms/pathology , Lipid Metabolism , Furans/therapeutic use , Disease Models, Animal
8.
Nat Genet ; 54(11): 1736-1745, 2022 11.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36266506

ABSTRACT

Maize is a globally valuable commodity and one of the most extensively studied genetic model organisms. However, we know surprisingly little about the extent and potential utility of the genetic variation found in wild relatives of maize. Here, we characterize a high-density genomic variation map from 744 genomes encompassing maize and all wild taxa of the genus Zea, identifying over 70 million single-nucleotide polymorphisms. The variation map reveals evidence of selection within taxa displaying novel adaptations. We focus on adaptive alleles in highland teosinte and temperate maize, highlighting the key role of flowering-time-related pathways in their adaptation. To show the utility of variants in these data, we generate mutant alleles for two flowering-time candidate genes. This work provides an extensive sampling of the genetic diversity of Zea, resolving questions on evolution and identifying adaptive variants for direct use in modern breeding.


Subject(s)
Plant Breeding , Zea mays , Zea mays/genetics , Adaptation, Physiological/genetics , Base Sequence , Alleles , Genetic Variation/genetics
9.
Adv Sci (Weinh) ; 9(35): e2202116, 2022 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36307872

ABSTRACT

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) genome encodes a cluster of 22 viral microRNAs, called miR-BamHI-A rightward transcripts (miR-BARTs), which are shown to promote the development of cancer. Here, this study reports that EBV-miR-BART18-3p is highly expressed in colorectal cancer (CRC) and is closely associated with the pathological and advanced clinical stages of CRC. Ectopic expression of EBV-miR-BART18-3p leads to increased migration and invasion capacities of CRC cells in vitro and causes tumor metastasis in vivo. Mechanistically, EBV-miR-BART18-3p activates the hypoxia inducible factor 1 subunit alpha/lactate dehydrogenase A axis by targeting Sirtuin, which promotes lactate accumulation and acetyl-CoA production in CRC cells under hypoxic condition. Increased acetyl-CoA utilization subsequently leads to histone acetylation of fatty acid synthase and fatty acid synthase-dependent fat synthesis, which in turn drives de novo lipogenesis. The oncogenic role of EBV-miR-BART18-3p is confirmed in the patient-derived tumor xenograft mouse model. Altogether, the findings define a novel mechanism of EBV-miR-BART18-3p in CRC development through the lipogenesis pathway and provide a potential clinical intervention target for CRC.


Subject(s)
Colorectal Neoplasms , Epstein-Barr Virus Infections , Herpesvirus 4, Human , Lipogenesis , MicroRNAs , RNA, Viral , Animals , Humans , Mice , Acetyl Coenzyme A/metabolism , Colorectal Neoplasms/metabolism , Colorectal Neoplasms/pathology , Epstein-Barr Virus Infections/virology , Herpesvirus 4, Human/genetics , Herpesvirus 4, Human/metabolism , MicroRNAs/genetics , MicroRNAs/metabolism , RNA, Viral/genetics , RNA, Viral/metabolism
10.
Environ Int ; 168: 107469, 2022 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36041244

ABSTRACT

Ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is linked to an increased risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations, which significantly increase the risk of mortality in COPD patients. Identifying the subtype of COPD patients who are sensitive to environmental aggressions is necessary. Using in vitro and in vivo PM2.5 exposure models, we demonstrate that exosomal hsa_circ_0005045 is upregulated by PM2.5 and binds to the protein cargo peroxiredoxin2, which functionally aggravates hallmarks of COPD by recruiting neutrophil elastase and triggering in situ release of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α by inflammatory cells. The biological function of hsa_circ_0005045 associated with aggravation of COPD is validated using exosome-transplantation and conditional circRNA-knockdown murine models. By sorting the major components of PM2.5, we find that PM2.5-bound heavy metals, which are distinguishable from the components of cigarette smoke, trigger the elevation of exosomal hsa_circ_0005045. Finally, using machine learning models in a cohort with 327 COPD patients, the PM2.5 exposure-sensitive COPD patients are characterized by relatively high hsa_circ_0005045 expression, non-smoking, and group C (mMRC 0-1 (or CAT < 10) and ≥ 2 exacerbations (or ≥ 1 exacerbation leading to hospital admission) in the past year). Thus, our results suggest that environmental reduction in PM2.5 emission provides a targeted approach to protecting non-smoking COPD patients against air pollution-related disease exacerbation.


Subject(s)
Air Pollutants , Air Pollution , Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive , Humans , Animals , Mice , Air Pollutants/toxicity , Air Pollutants/analysis , RNA, Circular , Air Pollution/analysis , Particulate Matter/toxicity , Particulate Matter/analysis , Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/chemically induced , Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha , Environmental Exposure/analysis
11.
Genome Biol ; 23(1): 178, 2022 08 23.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35999561

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Maize (Zea mays L.) is at the vanguard facing the upcoming breeding challenges. However, both a super pan-genome for the Zea genus and a comprehensive genetic variation map for maize breeding are still lacking. RESULTS: Here, we construct an approximately 6.71-Gb pan-Zea genome that contains around 4.57-Gb non-B73 reference sequences from fragmented de novo assemblies of 721 pan-Zea individuals. We annotate a total of 58,944 pan-Zea genes and find around 44.34% of them are dispensable in the pan-Zea population. Moreover, 255,821 common structural variations are identified and genotyped in a maize association mapping panel. Further analyses reveal gene presence/absence variants and their potential roles during domestication of maize. Combining genetic analyses with multi-omics data, we demonstrate how structural variants are associated with complex agronomic traits. CONCLUSIONS: Our results highlight the underexplored role of the pan-Zea genome and structural variations to further understand domestication of maize and explore their potential utilization in crop improvement.


Subject(s)
Genome, Plant , Zea mays , Chromosome Mapping/methods , Domestication , Humans , Plant Breeding/methods , Zea mays/genetics
12.
Front Oncol ; 12: 808889, 2022.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35433465

ABSTRACT

Recent studies have identified that long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) might affect the responses to anticancer drug treatment, including colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the association between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in PVT1 and the chemotherapy response in metastatic colorectal cancer has yet to be clarified. In this study, the PVT1 rs2278176 CT/TT genotypes were found to be associated with an increased overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) compared with the CC genotype. Furthermore, patients harboring the rs2278176 CT/TT genotypes had a greater chance of achieving clinical benefit from 5-Fluorouracil/leucovorin combined with oxaliplatin (FOLFOX). In vivo nude mice experiments demonstrated that the CRISPR/Cas9 mediated rs2278176 C to T mutation significantly inhibited the tumorigenesis of colorectal cancer cells treated with 5-Fu, but not control DMSO treated cells. Furthermore, the apoptotic rate was significantly enhanced by treatment with 5-Fu in the CRC cells carrying with the CT/TT genotypes. Functional studies demonstrated that the PVT1 rs2278176 C to T mutation altered the binding site for hsa-miR-297, and that hsa-miR-297 downregulated Glutathione S-Transferase Alpha 2(GSTA2), a member of phase II detoxification enzyme, in an Argonaute 2(Ago2)-dependent manner. Moreover, GSTA2 levels were downregulated in the cancer tissues of patients carrying rs2278176 CT/TT genotypes. High GSTA2 expression predicted poor clinical outcome in metastatic colorectal cancer treated with FOLFOX. In conclusion, this study provided that PVT1 with rs2278176 T allele altered the binding affinity with hsa-miR-297, leading to decreased GSTA2 expression and sensitized CRC cells to FOLFOX chemotherapy, suggesting rs2278176 CT/TT genotypes might serve as a predictive biomarker to improve prognosis in patients with metastatic CRC treated with FOLFOX.

13.
BMC Bioinformatics ; 23(1): 68, 2022 Feb 14.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35164674

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Generating chromosome-scale haplotype resolved assembly is important for functional studies. However, current de novo assemblers are either haploid assemblers that discard allelic information, or diploid assemblers that can only tackle genomes of low complexity. RESULTS: Here, Using robust programs, we build a diploid genome assembly pipeline called gcaPDA (gamete cells assisted Phased Diploid Assembler), which exploits haploid gamete cells to assist in resolving haplotypes. We demonstrate the effectiveness of gcaPDA based on simulated HiFi reads of maize genome which is highly heterozygous and repetitive, and real data from rice. CONCLUSIONS: With applicability of coping with complex genomes and fewer restrictions on application than most of diploid assemblers, gcaPDA is likely to find broad applications in studies of eukaryotic genomes.


Subject(s)
Chromosomes , Diploidy , Alleles , Haploidy , Haplotypes , High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing , Sequence Analysis, DNA
14.
Environ Pollut ; 296: 118746, 2022 Mar 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34968616

ABSTRACT

Considerable investigations have been carried out to address the relationship between ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and blood pressure (BP) in patients with hypertension. However, few studies have explored the influence of PM2.5 and its constituents on Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), an established risk factor for hypertension and cardiovascular disease (CVD), particularly in severely air-polluted areas. To explore the potential impact of PM2.5 constituents on BP, plasma hormones, and TMAO, a panel study was conducted to investigate changes in BP, plasma hormones, and TMAO in response to ambient air pollution exposure in stage 1 hypertensive young adults. Linear mixed effect models were used to estimate the cumulative effects of fine particulate matters (PM2.5) and its constituents on BP, plasma hormones and TMAO. We found that one interquartile range (IQR) (35 µg/m3) increase in 0-1 day moving-average PM2.5 concentrations was statistically significantly associated with elevated systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and mean arterial pressure (MAP) with estimated values of 0.13 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.03 to 0.23) mmHg, 0.18 (95% CI: 0.08 to 0.28) mmHg, and 0.17 (95% CI: 0.09 to 0.26) mmHg, respectively. Hormone disturbance in the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system was also associated with PM2.5 exposure. Elevated TMAO levels with an IQR increase for 0-4, 0-5, 0-6 moving-average concentrations of PM2.5 were found, and the increased values ranged from 26.28 (95% CI: 2.92 to 49.64) to 60.78 (31.95-89.61) ng/ml. More importantly, the PM2.5-bound metal constituents, such as manganese (Mn), titanium (Ti), and selenium (Se) showed robust associations with elevated BP and plasma TMAO levels. This study demonstrates associations between PM2.5 metal constituents and increased BP, changes in plasma hormones and TMAO, in stage 1 hypertensive young adults. Source control, aiming to reduce the emission of PM2.5-bound metals should be implemented to reduce the risk of hypertension and CVD.


Subject(s)
Air Pollutants , Air Pollution , Air Pollutants/analysis , Air Pollution/analysis , Air Pollution/statistics & numerical data , Blood Pressure , China , Environmental Exposure/analysis , Hormones , Humans , Methylamines , Particulate Matter/analysis
15.
J Hazard Mater ; 424(Pt B): 127354, 2022 02 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34634699

ABSTRACT

Due to its wide applications in tire and rubber products, carbon black (CB) implicates concerns on its safety during production, collection, and handling. Here we report that exposure CB, increases coagulation-thrombosis potential in a splenic extramedullary hemopoiesis (EMH)-dependent manner. Adult C57BL/6 mice are kept in whole-body inhalation chambers, and exposed to filtered room air (FRA) or CB for 28 consecutive days. CB exposure resulted in splenic EMH characterized with platelet precursor cells, megakaryocytes (MKs), hyperplasia and enhanced in vivo blood coagulation ability. Metabolomics analysis suggests significant enhance in PGE2 production but reduction in folic acid (FA) levels in murine serum following CB exposure. Mechanistically, activation of COX-dependent PGE2 production promotes IL-6 expression in splenic macrophages, which subsequently results in splenic EMH and increased platelet counts in circulation. Administration of FA protects the mice against CB-induced splenic EMH through inhibiting prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (Ptgs2 or Cox2) and prostaglandin E synthase (Ptges) expression in splenic macrophages, eventually recover the coagulation capacity to normal level. The results strongly suggest the involvement of splenic EMH in response to CB exposure and subsequently increased coagulation-thrombosis potential. Supplementation with FA may be a candidate to prevent thrombosis potential attributable to CB exposure.


Subject(s)
Soot , Thrombosis , Animals , Blood Coagulation , Folic Acid , Mice , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Thrombosis/chemically induced
16.
Front Surg ; 8: 626344, 2021.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34869546

ABSTRACT

Background: Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) has been established as a classic procedure for the management of cervical radiculopathy. However, it is unclear whether combined uncinate process resection (UPR) is necessary for treating cervical radiculopathy. Here, we investigated the clinical outcome of ACDF combined with UPR compared to ACDF alone to determine the necessity of UPR in treating cervical radiculopathy. Hypothesis: Uncinate process resection may be necessary in certain patients along with ACDF to achieve better clinical outcomes of cervical radiculopathy. Patients and Methods: Fifty-five patients underwent ACDF with UPR, and 126 patients without UPR were reviewed. The width and height of the intervertebral foramen were measured by 45° oblique X-rays. We also measured the Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score and visual analog scale (VAS) score. C2-C7 Cobb angles were obtained from all patients pre- and post-operatively. Meanwhile, linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between the clinical outcomes and the intervertebral foramen width before surgery. Results: Linear regression analysis indicated that the improvement in the JOA and VAS scores was irrelevant to both the pre-operative width of the intervertebral foramen (wIVF) and the height of the intervertebral foramen (hIVF) in the ACDF+UPR group. However, pre-operative wIVF was associated with post-operative JOA and VAS scores in the ACDF alone group. Those with pre-operative wIVF <3 mm in the ACDF group had the least improvement in post-operative clinical symptoms due to the change in wIVF (P > 0.05). The ACDF group whose wIVF was over 3 mm showed similar clinical outcomes to the ACDF + UPR group, and wIVF significantly increased post-operatively (P < 0.05). The fusion rate and C2-C7 Cobb angles did not show significant differences between the two groups (P > 0.05). Discussion: Our current findings suggest that UPR should be considered when wIVF is <3 mm pre-operatively. However, there is no need to sacrifice the uncovertebral joint in ACDF when the pre-operative wIVF is over 3 mm. Level of Evidence: Level III.

17.
Cell Death Dis ; 12(12): 1109, 2021 11 27.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34839348

ABSTRACT

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) - T cell therapy is a new class of cellular immunotherapies, which has made great achievements in the treatment of malignant tumors. Despite improvements in colorectal cancer (CRC) therapy, treatment of many patients fails because of metastasis and recurrence. The human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is a substantiated target for CAR-T therapy, and has been reported recently to be over-expressed in CRC, which may provide a potential therapeutic target for CRC treatment. Herein, HER2 was a promising target of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) in CAR-T therapy as assessed by flow cytometry and tissue microarray (TMA) with 9-year survival follow-up data. Furthermore, HER2-specific CAR-T cells exhibited strong cytotoxicity and cytokine-secreting ability against CRC cells in vitro. Moreover, through the tumor-bearing model of the NOD-Prkdcem26cd52Il2rgem26Cd22/Nju (NCG) mice, HER2 CAR-T cells showed signs of effectively preventing CRC progression in three different xenograft models. Notably, HER2 CAR-T cells displayed greater aggressiveness in HER2+ CRC in the patient-derived tumor xenograft (PDX) models and had potent immunotherapeutic capacity for mCRC in the metastatic xenograft mouse models. In conclusion, our studies provide scientific evidence that HER2 CAR-T cells represent an emerging immunotherapy for the treatment of mCRC.


Subject(s)
Colorectal Neoplasms/genetics , Receptor, ErbB-2/metabolism , Receptors, Chimeric Antigen/metabolism , Animals , Biomarkers, Tumor , Case-Control Studies , Colorectal Neoplasms/pathology , Female , Humans , Mice , Neoplasm Metastasis
18.
Hepatology ; 74(5): 2633-2651, 2021 11.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34110633

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Liver metastasis is a frequent occurrence in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), with 15%-25% of CRC patients having liver metastases at the time of initial diagnosis. Specifically, some regional-stage patients with mild symptoms (stage 1 or 2) will also advance to liver metastases rapidly, even if the CRC lesion in situ is resected in time. Nevertheless, the precise mechanism of liver metastasis is still unclear. APPROACH AND RESULTS: Fresh tumor tissues from patients with CRC, adjacent noncancerous tissues, and colorectal adenoma tissues were subjected to microarray analysis to identify differentially expressed microRNA. Exosomes from human serum and cell culture medium were separated, quantitated, and verified by transmission electronic microscopy and Zetasizer Nano. Luciferase reporter assay, real-time quantitative PCR, western blot, immunoprecipitation, chromatin and re-chromatin immunoprecipitation, migration and invasion assay, PDX mouse model, flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence staining were employed to explore the regulation among CRC liver metastases, immunosuppression, and cell adhesion. In this study, we demonstrated that the hypoxic microenvironment in primary CRC lesions boosted exosome release, selectively initiated favorable premetastatic niche formation in the liver but not in other organs. Mechanistically, Kupffer cells (KCs) can phagocytose exosomes containing highly expressed miR-135a-5p from the blood circulation into the liver. Exosomal miR-135a-5p initiated the large tumor suppressor kinase 2-yes-associated protein-matrix metalloproteinase 7 axis to promote the occurrence of CRC liver metastasis, and cluster of differentiation 30-TNF receptor-associated factor 2-p65-mediated immunosuppression signaling also contributed to this process. CONCLUSIONS: Hypoxia-induced exosomal miR-135a-5p correlates with the development, clinical severity, and prognosis of CRC liver metastases through the premetastatic niche; and our findings revealed that miR-135a-5p might be a promising target in halting CRC liver metastases.


Subject(s)
Colorectal Neoplasms/pathology , Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic , Liver Neoplasms/genetics , MicroRNAs/metabolism , Tumor Hypoxia/genetics , Aged , Animals , Cell Line, Tumor , Colorectal Neoplasms/blood , Colorectal Neoplasms/genetics , Colorectal Neoplasms/mortality , Exosomes/metabolism , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Gene Expression Profiling , Humans , Liver/pathology , Liver Neoplasms/blood , Liver Neoplasms/mortality , Liver Neoplasms/secondary , Male , Matrix Metalloproteinase 7/metabolism , Mice , MicroRNAs/blood , Middle Aged , Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/metabolism , Signal Transduction/genetics , Tumor Suppressor Proteins/metabolism , Up-Regulation , Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays , YAP-Signaling Proteins/metabolism
19.
Plant Biotechnol J ; 19(6): 1195-1205, 2021 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33386670

ABSTRACT

Low grain moisture at harvest is crucial for safe production, transport and storage, but the genetic architecture of this trait in maize (Zea mays) remains elusive. Here, we measured the dynamic changes in grain moisture content in an association-mapping panel of 513 diverse maize inbred lines at five successive stages across five geographical environments. Genome-wide association study (GWAS) revealed 71 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that influence grain moisture in maize. Epistatic effects play vital roles in the variability in moisture levels, even outperforming main-effect QTLs during the early dry-down stages. Distinct QTL-environment interactions influence the spatio-temporal variability of maize grain moisture, which is primarily triggered at specific times. By combining genetic population analysis, transcriptomic profiling and gene editing, we identified GRMZM5G805627 and GRMZM2G137211 as candidate genes underlying major QTLs for grain moisture in maize. Our results provide insights into the genetic architecture of dynamic changes in grain moisture, which should facilitate maize breeding.


Subject(s)
Genome-Wide Association Study , Zea mays , Chromosome Mapping , Edible Grain/genetics , Phenotype , Plant Breeding , Seeds/genetics , Zea mays/genetics
20.
Orthop Surg ; 13(1): 161-167, 2021 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33403818

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and safety of ultrasonic bone curette-assisted dome-like laminoplasty in the treatment of ossification of longitudinal ligament (OPLL) involving C2 . METHODS: A total of 64 patients with OPLL involving C2 level were enrolled. Thirty-eight patients who underwent ultrasonic bone curette-assisted dome-like laminoplasty were defined as ultrasonic bone curette group (UBC), and 28 patients who underwent traditional high-speed drill-assisted dome-like laminoplasty were defined as high-speed drill group (HSD). Patient characteristics such as age, sex, body mass index (BMI), symptomatic duration, and other information like the type of OPLL, the time of surgery, blood loss, C2 -C7 Cobb angle change and complications were all recorded and compared. The Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score, the nerve root functional improvement rate (IR), and the visual analogue scale (VAS) were used to assess neurological recovery and pain relief. The change of the distance between the apex of ossification and a continuous line connecting the anterior edges of the lamina was measured to assess the spinal expansion extent. The measured data were statistically processed and analyzed using SPSS 21.0 software, and the measurement data were expressed as mean ± SD. RESULTS: In ultrasonic bone curette (UBC) group and high-speed drill group (HSD) group, the average time for laminoplasty was 52.3 ± 18.2 min and 76.0 ± 21.8 min and the mean bleeding loss volume was 155.5 ± 41.3 mL and 177.4 ± 54.7 mL, respectively, with a statistically significant difference between the groups. Both groups demonstrated a significant improvement in neurological function. However, the VAS score in UBC group was lower than in HSD group at the 6-month follow-up (P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference at 1-year follow-up. We found that the loss of lordosis was 1.5° ± 1.0° in UBC group, which is significantly lower than that of HSD group at 1-year follow-up (3.8° ± 1.2°, P < 0.05). According to the change of canal dimension, we found that the expansion extent of the spinal canal in UBC group was similar to that of HSD group (P > 0.05). Only one patient in the UBC group and five patients in the HSD group displayed cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakag. CONCLUSIONS: With the use of ultrasonic bone curette in OPLL dome-like decompression, the decompression surgery could be completed relatively safely and quickly. It effectively reduced the amount of intraoperative blood loss and complications, and had better initial recovery of neck pain.


Subject(s)
Cervical Vertebrae/surgery , Curettage/methods , Laminoplasty/methods , Ossification of Posterior Longitudinal Ligament/surgery , Ultrasonic Therapy/methods , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Pain Measurement , Surveys and Questionnaires
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