Precise diagnosis of three top cancers using dbGaP data.

The challenge of decoding information about complex diseases hidden in huge number of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotypes is undertaken based on five dbGaP studies. Current genome-wide association studies have successfully identified many high-risk SNPs associated with diseases, but precise diagnostic models for complex diseases by these or more other SNP genotypes are still unavailable in the literature. We report that lung cancer, breast cancer and prostate cancer as the first three top cancers worldwide can be predicted precisely via 240-370 SNPs with accuracy up to 99% according to leave-one-out and 10-fold cross-validation. Our findings (1) confirm an early guess of Dr. Mitchell H. Gail that about 300 SNPs are needed to improve risk forecasts for breast cancer, (2) reveal an incredible fact that SNP genotypes may contain almost all information that one wants to know, and (3) show a hopeful possibility that complex diseases can be precisely diagnosed by means of SNP genotypes without using phenotypical features. In short words, information hidden in SNP genotypes can be extracted in efficient ways to make precise diagnoses for complex diseases.

[Biogenesis, research methods, and functions of circular RNAs].

The field of circular non-coding RNAs have been gradually attracted wide attention with the developments of high-throughput sequencing. In this review, we systematically summarize three driving models for circRNAs biogenesis: intron-pairing-driven, RNA binding protein-driven and lariat-driven. In addition, we also briefly introduce the current research methods of circRNAs, which include high-throughput library construction methods, identification through bioinformatics and common experimental verification. Here, we also systematically summarize the functions of circRNAs, including microRNA (miRNA) or protein sponges, regulating the alternative splicing (AS) and expression of host genes, and extensive translation. Finally, we provide a systematic characterization and the latest research progress of circRNAs, which provide a new perspective for further studies of circRNAs in plants.

Reactivated astrocytes as a possible source of oligodendrocyte precursors for remyelination in remitting phase of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis rats.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is ademyelinating disease in the central nervous system (CNS). Majority of the MS patients show relapsing-remitting disease course. Evidences show that oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs), which remain relatively quiescent in normal adult CNS, play a key role in the remitting phase by proliferation and remyelination. In the present study, we found that spinal cord astrocytesco-expressed progenitor cell marker and oligodendroglial lineage markers in the remittance phase in adult rat experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model. We suggest that activated astrocyte could de-differentiate into OPCs and re-differentiate into mature oligodendrocytes, raising the possibility that astrocytes can be a potential source of OPCs in the adult demyelinated spinal cord.

High concentrations of glucose suppress etoposide-induced cell death of B-cell lymphoma through BCL-6.

Glucose is potentially a factor in the resistance to chemotherapy of B-cell lymphomas. In this study we investigated the expression of the glucose induced transcription factor Bcl-6 and the underlying mechanism by which it suppresses B-cell lymphoma cell death. Glucose was found to prevent etoposide-induced tumor cell death. BCL-6 expression was induced by glucose but down-regulated by etoposide. BCL-6 expression was regulated by the interaction of VDUP1 and p53. The molecular mechanism by which glucose prevented etoposide-induced tumor cell death was shown to involve the BCL-6 mediated caspase pathway. Our data suggest that glucose-induced BCL-6 overexpression could abrogate the etoposide chemotherapy effect on tumor cell death.

The honeycomb network structure of poly[[[mu(2)-1,3-bis(1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)benzene-kappa(2)N(3):N(3')](mu(2)-terephthalato-kappa(2)O:O')zinc(II)] ethanol solvate].

The terephthalate dianion and the bis(imidazolyl)benzene ligand of the title compound, {[Zn(C(8)H(4)O(4))(C(20)H(14)N(4))].C(2)H(6)O}(n), each bridges two adjacent zinc centers, resulting in a layer-type coordination polymer; the zinc center shows tetrahedral coordination. The disordered ethanol solvent molecules occupy the spaces between the layers and are hydrogen bonded to the layers. The two symmetry-independent dianions lie on different inversion sites.