Activation of astrocytes by ANXA2-derived extracellular vesicles from lung cancer cells affects aggressiveness, immunotherapy response and microenvironment of lung cancer.

Background: ANXA2 has been extensively documented in relation to cancer. Nevertheless, the involvement of ANXA2 in lung carcinoma remains uncertain. Methods: Data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database was downloaded using open-access methods. The examination of publicly available data was conducted utilizing the R software. The mRNA level of specific molecules was detected using Real-time Quantitative PCR (qPCR). The protein level of specific molecules was detected using the Western blot assay. The cell proliferation ability of cancer cells was assessed using the CCK8 assay. The invasion and migration capability of cancer cells was assessed using the Transwell assay. Validation of exosomes extraction was conducted using electron microscopy and particle size analysis. Results: In this study, based on series experiments, we found that ANXA2 can promote the activation of neuroastrocytes cells CP-H122 through the exosome pathway. Also, we found that ANXA2 can be transmitted from A549 cells to CP-H122 through the exosomes pathway and further promote the activation of CP-H122. Activated CP-H122 cells further enhance the proliferation, invasion and metastasis of A549 cells. Meanwhile, we performed transcriptome sequencing to explore the downstream genes of ANXA2 to screen potential targets for follow-up studies. Analysis based on public data showed that ANXA2 was related to the worse survival performance and clinical features of lung cancer. Gene set enrichment analysis based on the Hallmark gene set indicated that the patient with high ANXA2 expression might have a higher activity of the apical surface, reactive oxygen species pathway, angiogenesis, TGF-ß signaling, MYC target, but lower activity of pancreas-ß cells. More important, our results showed that ANXA2 can affects immunotherapy response and reshape immune microenvironment of lung cancer. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that ANXA2 activates CP-H122 cells, affects A549 cell behavior, and impacts lung cancer prognosis and immunotherapy response.

Endogenous biosynthesis of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) regulates fish oocyte maturation by promoting pregnenolone production.

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs), particularly docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3, DHA), play crucial roles in the reproductive health of vertebrates, including humans. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanism related to this phenomenon remains largely unknown. In this study, we employed two zebrafish genetic models, i.e., elovl2 -/- mutant as an endogenous DHA-deficient model and fat1 (omega-3 desaturase encoding gene) transgenic zebrafish as an endogenous DHA-rich model, to investigate the effects of DHA on oocyte maturation and quality. Results show that the elovl2 -/- mutants had much lower fecundity and poorer oocyte quality than the wild-type controls, while the fat1 zebrafish had higher fecundity and better oocyte quality than wild-type controls. DHA deficiency in elovl2 -/- embryos led to defects in egg activation, poor microtubule stability, and reduced pregnenolone levels. Further study revealed that DHA promoted pregnenolone synthesis by enhancing transcription of cyp11a1, which encodes the cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme, thereby stabilizing microtubule assembly during oogenesis. In turn, the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis was enhanced by DHA. In conclusion, using two unique genetic models, our findings demonstrate that endogenously synthesized DHA promotes oocyte maturation and quality by promoting pregnenolone production via transcriptional regulation of cyp11a1.

Induced formation of primordial germ cells from zebrafish blastomeres by germplasm factors.

The combination of genome editing and primordial germ cell (PGC) transplantation has enormous significance in the study of developmental biology and genetic breeding, despite its low efficiency due to limited number of donor PGCs. Here, we employ a combination of germplasm factors to convert blastoderm cells into induced PGCs (iPGCs) in zebrafish and obtain functional gametes either through iPGC transplantation or via the single blastomere overexpression of germplasm factors. Zebrafish-derived germplasm factors convert blastula cells of Gobiocypris rarus into iPGCs, and Gobiocypris rarus spermatozoa can be produced by iPGC-transplanted zebrafish. Moreover, the combination of genome knock-in and iPGC transplantation perfectly resolves the contradiction between high knock-in efficiency and early lethality during embryonic stages and greatly improves the efficiency of genome knock-in. Together, we present an efficient method for generating PGCs in a teleost, a technique that will have a strong impact in basic research and aquaculture.

Production of Astaxanthin by Animal Cells via Introduction of an Entire Astaxanthin Biosynthetic Pathway.

Astaxanthin is a fascinating molecule with powerful antioxidant activity, synthesized exclusively by specific microorganisms and higher plants. To expand astaxanthin production, numerous studies have employed metabolic engineering to introduce and optimize astaxanthin biosynthetic pathways in microorganisms and plant hosts. Here, we report the metabolic engineering of animal cells in vitro to biosynthesize astaxanthin. This was accomplished through a two-step study to introduce the entire astaxanthin pathway into human embryonic kidney cells (HEK293T). First, we introduced the astaxanthin biosynthesis sub-pathway (Ast subp) using several genes encoding ß-carotene ketolase and ß-carotene hydroxylase enzymes to synthesize astaxanthin directly from ß-carotene. Next, we introduced a ß-carotene biosynthesis sub-pathway (ß-Car subp) with selected genes involved in Ast subp to synthesize astaxanthin from geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGPP). As a result, we unprecedentedly enabled HEK293T cells to biosynthesize free astaxanthin from GGPP with a concentration of 41.86 µg/g dry weight (DW), which represented 66.19% of the total ketocarotenoids (63.24 µg/g DW). Through optimization steps using critical factors in the astaxanthin biosynthetic process, a remarkable 4.14-fold increase in total ketocarotenoids (262.10 µg/g DW) was achieved, with astaxanthin constituting over 88.82%. This pioneering study holds significant implications for transgenic animals, potentially revolutionizing the global demand for astaxanthin, particularly within the aquaculture sector.

Effects of Z-VaD-Ala-Asp-Fluoromethyl Ketone (Z-VAD-FMK) and Acetyl-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-Aldehyde(Ac-DEVD-CHO) on Inflammation and Mucus Secretion in Mice Exposed to Cigarette Smoke.

Background and Objectives: Smoking can lead to airway inflammation and mucus secretion through the nucleotide-binding domain-like receptor protein 3/caspase-1 pathway. In this study, z-VaD-Ala-Asp-fluoromethyl ketone(Z-VAD), a pan-caspase inhibitor, and acetyl-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-aldehyde(Ac-DEVD), a caspase-3 inhibitor, were used to investigate the effect of caspase inhibitors on the expression of interleukin(IL)-1ß and IL-8, airway inflammation, and mucus secretion in mice exposed to cigarette smoke(CS). Methods: Thirty-two C57BL/6J male mice were divided into a control group, Smoke group, Z-VAD group, and Ac-DEVD group. Except for the control group, the animals were all exposed to CS for three months. After the experiment, lung function was measured and hematoxylin and eosin staining and periodic acid-Schiff staining were performed. The levels of IL-1ß, IL-8, and mucin 5ac(Muc5ac) in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Compared with the control group, the lung function of mice exposed to smoke was poorer, with a large number of inflammatory cells infiltrating around the airway, collapse of alveoli, expansion and fusion of distal alveoli, and formation of emphysema. The Z-VAD group was relieved compared with the smoke group. Airway inflammation was also reduced in the Ac-DEVD group compared with the Smoke group, but the degree of emphysema was not significantly improved. Although Z-VAD relieved airway inflammation and emphysema, Ac-DEVD only relieved inflammation. Z-VAD and Ac-DEVD decreased serum IL-1ß and IL-8 levels. In BALF, IL-1ß was decreased in Z-VAD group and IL-8 was highest in Smoke +Ac-DEVD group compared with control group and Ac-DEVD group. There was no significant difference in the expression of Muc5ac in serum. However, in BALF, levels of Muc5ac were higher in the smoking group and the lowest in the Ac-DEVD group. Conclusion: Mice exposed to smoke had decreased lung function and significant cilia lodging, epithelial cell shedding, and inflammatory cell infiltration, with significant emphysema formation. The pan-caspase inhibitor, Z-VAD, improved airway inflammation and emphysema lesions in the mice exposed to smoke and reduced IL-1ß and IL-8 levels in serum. The caspase-3 inhibitor, Ac-DEVD, reduced airway inflammation, serum IL-1ß and IL-8 levels, and Muc5ac levels in BALF, but it did not improve emphysema.

Translational control by maternal Nanog promotes oogenesis and early embryonic development.

Many maternal mRNAs are translationally repressed during oocyte development and spatio-temporally activated during early embryogenesis, which is crucial for oocyte and early embryo development. By analyzing maternal mutants of nanog (Mnanog) in zebrafish, we demonstrated that Nanog tightly controls translation of maternal mRNA during oogenesis via transcriptional repression of eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1 alpha 1, like 2 (eef1a1l2). Loss of maternal Nanog led to defects of egg maturation, increased endoplasmic reticulum stress, and an activated unfold protein response, which was caused by elevated translational activity. We further demonstrated that Nanog, as a transcriptional repressor, represses the transcription of eefl1a1l2 by directly binding to the eef1a1l2 promoter in oocytes. More importantly, depletion of eef1a1l2 in nanog mutant females effectively rescued the elevated translational activity in oocytes, oogenesis defects and embryonic defects of Mnanog embryos. Thus, our study demonstrates that maternal Nanog regulates oogenesis and early embryogenesis through translational control of maternal mRNA via a mechanism whereby Nanog acts as a transcriptional repressor to suppress transcription of eef1a1l2.

Surrogate production of genome-edited sperm from a different subfamily by spermatogonial stem cell transplantation.

The surrogate reproduction technique, such as inter-specific spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) transplantation (SSCT), provides a powerful tool for production of gametes derived from endangered species or those with desirable traits. However, generation of genome-edited gametes from a different species or production of gametes from a phylogenetically distant species such as from a different subfamily, by SSCT, has not succeeded. Here, using two small cyprinid fishes from different subfamilies, Chinese rare minnow (gobiocypris rarus, for brief: Gr) and zebrafish (danio rerio), we successfully obtained Gr-derived genome-edited sperm in zebrafish by an optimized SSCT procedure. The transplanted Gr SSCs supported the host gonadal development and underwent normal spermatogenesis, resulting in a reconstructed fertile testis containing Gr spermatids and zebrafish testicular somatic cells. Interestingly, the surrogate spermatozoa resembled those of host zebrafish but not donor Gr in morphology and swimming behavior. When pou5f3 and chd knockout Gr SSCs were transplanted, Gr-derived genome-edited sperm was successfully produced in zebrafish. This is the first report demonstrating surrogate production of gametes from a different subfamily by SSCT, and surrogate production of genome-edited gametes from another species as well. This method is feasible to be applied to future breeding of commercial fish and livestock.

Cyp11a2 Is Essential for Oocyte Development and Spermatogonial Stem Cell Differentiation in Zebrafish.

Cytochrome P45011A1, encoded by Cyp11a1, converts cholesterol to pregnenolone (P5), the first and rate-limiting step in steroidogenesis. In zebrafish, cyp11a1 is maternally expressed and cyp11a2 is considered the ortholog of Cyp11a1 in mammals. A recent study has shown that depletion of cyp11a2 resulted in steroidogenic deficiencies and the mutants developed into males with feminized secondary sexual characteristics. Here, we independently generated cyp11a2 mutants in zebrafish and showed that the mutants can develop into males and females in the juvenile stage, but finally into infertile males with defective mating behavior in the adult stage. In the developing ovaries, the cyp11a2 mutation led to stage I oocyte apoptosis and final sex reversal, which could be partially rescued by treatment with P5 but not estradiol. In the developing testes, depletion of cyp11a2 resulted in dysfunction of Sertoli cells and lack of functional Leydig cells. Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) in the mutant testes underwent active self-renewal but no differentiation, resulting in a high abundance of SSCs in the testis, as revealed by immunofluorescence staining with Nanos2 antibody. The high abundance and differentiation competence of SSCs in the mutant testes were verified by a novel testicular cell transplantation method developed in this study, by transplanting mutant testicular cells into germline-depleted wild-type (WT) fish. The transplanted mutant SSCs efficiently differentiated into functional spermatids in WT hosts. Overall, our study demonstrates the functional importance of cyp11a2 in early oogenesis and differentiation of SSCs.

[Inverse ratio ventilation combined with PEEP in infants undergoing thoracoscopic surgery with one lung ventilation for lung cystadenomas: a randomized control trial of 63 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of inverse ratio ventilation (IRV) combined with positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) in infants undergoing thoracoscopic surgery with single lung ventilation (OLV) for lung cystadenomas. METHODS: A total of 66 infants undergoing thoracoscopic surgery with OLV for lung cystadenomas in our hospital from February, 2018 to February, 2019 were randomized into conventional ventilation groups (group N, n=33) and inverse ventilation group (group R, n=33). Hemodynamics and respiratory parameters of the infants were recorded and arterial blood gas analysis was performed at 15 min after two lung ventilation (TLV) (T1), OLV30 min (T2), OLV60 min (T3), and 15 min after recovery of TLV (T4). Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was collected before and after surgery to detect the expression level of advanced glycation end product receptor (RAGE). RESULTS: Sixty-three infants were finally included in this study. At T2 and T3, Cdyn, PaO2 and OI in group R were significantly higher (P < 0.05) and Ppeak, PaCO2 and PA-aO2 were significantly lower than those in group N (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in HR or MAP between the two groups at T2 and T3 (P > 0.05). The level of RAGE significantly increased after the surgery in both groups (P < 0.05), and was significantly lower in R group than in N group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In infants undergoing thoracoscopic surgery with OLV for pulmonary cystadenoma, appropriate IRV combined with PEEP does not affect hemodynamic stability and can increases pulmonary compliance, reduce the peak pressure, and improve oxygenation to provide pulmonary protection.

Elovl2 But Not Elovl5 Is Essential for the Biosynthesis of Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) in Zebrafish: Insight from a Comparative Gene Knockout Study.

Teleost fish can synthesize one of the major omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LC-PUFAs), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3), from dietary α-linolenic acid (ALA; 18:3n-3), via elongase of very long-chain fatty acid (Elovl) and fatty acid desaturase (Fads). However, it remains unclear which elongase is primarily responsible for the endogenous synthesis of DHA. Here, in this study, the knockout models of the two major elongases, Elovl2 and Elovl5, were generated by CRISPR/Cas9 approach in zebrafish and comparatively analyzed. The homozygous mutants were validated by Sanger sequencing, mutation-mediated PCR, and whole-mount in situ hybridization analysis of the endogenous target genes. Compared with wild-type (WT) counterparts, the content of DHA was significantly reduced by 67.1% (P < 0.05) in the adult liver and by 91.7% (P < 0.01) in the embryo at 3-day post-fertilization (dpf) of the elovl2 mutant, but not of the elovl5 mutant. Further study revealed that elovl2 and fads2 was upregulated by 9.9-fold (P < 0.01) and 9.7-fold (P < 0.01) in the elovl5 mutant, and elovl5 and fads2 were upregulated by 15.1-fold (P < 0.01) and 21.5-fold (P < 0.01) in the elovl2 mutant. Our study indicates that although both Elovl2 and Elovl5 have the elongase activity toward C20, the upregulation of elovl2 could completely replace the genetic depletion of elovl5, but upregulation of elovl5 could not compensate the endogenous deficiency of elovl2 in mediating DHA synthesis. In conclusion, the endogenous synthesis of DHA in is mediated by Elovl2 but not Elovl5 in zebrafish and a DHA-deficient genetic model of zebrafish has been generated.

Nanog safeguards early embryogenesis against global activation of maternal ß-catenin activity by interfering with TCF factors.

Maternal ß-catenin activity is essential and critical for dorsal induction and its dorsal activation has been thoroughly studied. However, how the maternal ß-catenin activity is suppressed in the nondorsal cells remains poorly understood. Nanog is known to play a central role for maintenance of the pluripotency and maternal -zygotic transition (MZT). Here, we reveal a novel role of Nanog as a strong repressor of maternal ß-catenin signaling to safeguard the embryo against hyperactivation of maternal ß-catenin activity and hyperdorsalization. In zebrafish, knockdown of nanog at different levels led to either posteriorization or dorsalization, mimicking zygotic or maternal activation of Wnt/ß-catenin activities, and the maternal zygotic mutant of nanog (MZnanog) showed strong activation of maternal ß-catenin activity and hyperdorsalization. Although a constitutive activator-type Nanog (Vp16-Nanog, lacking the N terminal) perfectly rescued the MZT defects of MZnanog, it did not rescue the phenotypes resulting from ß-catenin signaling activation. Mechanistically, the N terminal of Nanog directly interacts with T-cell factor (TCF) and interferes with the binding of ß-catenin to TCF, thereby attenuating the transcriptional activity of ß-catenin. Therefore, our study establishes a novel role for Nanog in repressing maternal ß-catenin activity and demonstrates a transcriptional switch between ß-catenin/TCF and Nanog/TCF complexes, which safeguards the embryo from global activation of maternal ß-catenin activity.

Enhanced recovery after surgery for the treatment of congenital duodenal obstruction.

BACKGROUND: Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) has been widely used in adult surgery. However, ERAS has not been reported in neonatal surgery. The present prospective study explored the application value of ERAS in treating congenital duodenal obstruction (CDO). METHODS: A total of 68 cases of CDO were collected from October 1, 2017 to July 31, 2019. We divided patients with a prenatal diagnosis of congenital duodenal obstruction into the ERAS group and those who were diagnosed the disease after birth into the control group. The ERAS group adopted ERAS-related measures, and the control group followed the usual measures. The study compared the differences in the gestational age, birth weight, length of hospital stay (LOS), complications, feeding intolerance, and weight one month after surgery between the two groups. RESULTS: A total of 49 patients were included in the analysis, including 23 who were allocated to the ERAS group and 26 to the control group. The LOS was 9.696±1.222 days in the ERAS group and 12.654±1.686 days in the control group, resulting in a significantly shorter LOS in the ERAS group than in the control group (p<0.001). One month after surgery, the neonates in the ERAS group weighted significantly more than those in the control group. No differences were observed in birth weight, gestational age, and the incidence of complications or feeding intolerance between the two groups. CONCLUSION: In this single-center study, the implementation of neonate-specific ERAS for CDO surgery was feasible and safe and led to a shorter LOS without increasing the incidence of complications or feeding intolerance. TYPE OF STUDY: Treatment Study LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.

Efficient generation of zebrafish maternal-zygotic mutants through transplantation of ectopically induced and Cas9/gRNA targeted primordial germ cells.

The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 technology has been widely utilized for knocking out genes involved in various biological processes in zebrafish. Despite this technology is efficient for generating different mutations, one of the main drawbacks is low survival rate during embryogenesis when knocking out some embryonic lethal genes. To overcome this problem, we developed a novel strategy using a combination of CRISPR/Cas9 mediated gene knockout with primordial germ cell (PGC) transplantation (PGCT) to facilitate and speed up the process of zebrafish mutant generation, particularly for embryonic lethal genes. Firstly, we optimized the procedure for CRISPR/Cas9 targeted PGCT by increasing the efficiencies of genome mutation in PGCs and induction of PGC fates in donor embryos for PGCT. Secondly, the optimized CRISPR/Cas9 targeted PGCT was utilized for generation of maternal-zygotic (MZ) mutants of tcf7l1a (gene essential for head development), pou5f3 (gene essential for zygotic genome activation) and chd (gene essential for dorsal development) at F1 generation with relatively high efficiency. Finally, we revealed some novel phenotypes in MZ mutants of tcf7l1a and chd, as MZtcf7l1a showed elevated neural crest development while MZchd had much severer ventralization than its zygotic counterparts. Therefore, this study presents an efficient and powerful method for generating MZ mutants of embryonic lethal genes in zebrafish. It is also feasible to speed up the genome editing in commercial fishes by utilizing a similar approach by surrogate production of CRISPR/Cas9 targeted germ cells.

The combination of CTCs and CEA can help guide the management of patients with SPNs suspected of being lung cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs) is a common radiographic finding and require further evaluation because of the possibility of lung cancer. This study aimed to determine the sensitivity and specificity of circulating tumour cells (CTCs) as a marker for the diagnosis of SPNs and the integration of CTCs, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and imaging findings to improve the sensitivity and specificity of diagnosis in patients with SPNs suspected of being lung cancer. METHOD: For the serum biomarker assay, the concentration of CEA was measured by an automated electrochemiluminescence analyzer. CTCs were collected from 6 ml of blood by the SE i-FISH method, which detects the gene copy number in eight chromosomes and the tumour-associated antigen CK18. RESULTS: With a threshold of 6 CTC units, the method showed a sensitivity of 67.1% and a specificity of 56.5% in the diagnosis of NSCLC, especially in the upper lobe, in which the diagnostic strength was the highest (P < 0.01). CTCs, CEA and nodule type had the highest diagnostic efficacy (area under the curve, 0.827; 95% confidence interval, 0.752-0.901) in patients with SPNs being suspected lung cancer. Combining CTCs (cut-off value 12 units) with CEA (1.78 ng/ml), the method showed a sensitivity of 77.8% and a specificity of 90% in the diagnosis of NSCLC, especially in the upper lobe, subsolid nodules and nodules ≥8 mm. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrated that CTCs are feasible diagnostic biomarkers in patients with SPNs, especially in the upper lobe. Furthermore, CTCs combined with CEA showed higher diagnostic efficacy in the upper lobe, subsolid nodules and nodules ≥8 mm.

The release of tryptase from mast cells promote tumor cell metastasis via exosomes.

BACKGROUND: Cancer cells release exosomes and can be taken up by mast cells (MCs), but the potential functional effects of MCs on tumor metastasis remain unknown. METHOD: Exosomes were isolated from the lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549, and the uptake of PKH26-labeled exosomes by bone marrow MCs was examined via flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. Cytokines and tryptase in MC supernatant were analyzed using an ELISA kit, and the presence of tryptase was evaluated by Western blotting. Cell proliferation and migration were determined through CCK-8 and transwell assays. Proteins in the tryptase-JAK-STAT signaling pathway were detected by Western blotting. RESULTS: In this study, we show that exosomes from A549 cells can be taken up by MCs. Moreover, A549 exosomes contain stem cell factor (SCF) to MCs and subsequently induce the activation of MCs through SCF-KIT signal transduction, which leads to MC degranulation and the release of tryptase. Tryptase accelerates the proliferation and migration of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) through the JAK-STAT signaling pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Our results reveal a mechanism for metastasis in which exosomes can transfer SCF to and activate MCs, which can affect the release of tryptase and the angiogenesis of HUVECs.

Marcksb plays a key role in the secretory pathway of zebrafish Bmp2b.

During vertebrate early embryogenesis, the ventral development is directed by the ventral-to-dorsal activity gradient of the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling. As secreted ligands, the extracellular traffic of BMP has been extensively studied. However, it remains poorly understood that how BMP ligands are secreted from BMP-producing cells. In this work, we show the dominant role of Marcksb controlling the secretory process of Bmp2b via interaction with Hsp70 in vivo. We firstly carefully characterized the role of Marcksb in promoting BMP signaling during dorsoventral axis formation through knockdown approach. We then showed that Marcksb cell autonomously regulates the trafficking of Bmp2b from producing cell to the extracellular space and both the total and the extracellular Bmp2b was decreased in Marcksb-deficient embryos. However, neither the zygotic mutant of marcksb (Zmarcksb) nor the maternal zygotic mutant of marcksb (MZmarcksb) showed any defects of dorsalization. In contrast, the MZmarcksb embryos even showed increased BMP signaling activity as measured by expression of BMP targets, phosphorylated Smad1/5/9 levels and imaging of Bmp2b, suggesting that a phenomenon of "genetic over-compensation" arose. Finally, we revealed that the over-compensation effects of BMP signaling in MZmarcksb was achieved through a sequential up-regulation of MARCKS-family members Marcksa, Marcksl1a and Marcksl1b, and MARCKS-interacting protein Hsp70.3. We concluded that the Marcksb modulates BMP signaling through regulating the secretory pathway of Bmp2b.

The effects of neutralizing anti-murine interleukin-17A monoclonal antibody on ozone-induced inflammation and glucocorticoids insensitivity in a murine model of asthma.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Exposure to ozone contributed to the worsening of inflammation and glucocorticoids insensitivity in OVA-challenged asthma. Interleukin-17A participates centrally in stages of the inflammatory response and glucocorticoids insensitivity. In this study, the effect of neutralizing anti-murine interleukin-17A monoclonal antibody (IL-17A mAb) on inflammation and glucocorticoids insensitivity in ozone-exposed and ovalbumin (OVA)-challenged mice was investigated. METHODS: Mice were sensitized and challenged with OVA and then exposed to ozone. Dexamethasone (Dex) and IL-17A mAb were administrated in corresponding periods. RESULTS: Compared with OVA-challenged mice, combination administration of ozone exposure and OVA challenge increased the recruitment of inflammatory cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, enhanced the inflammation scores and levels of inflammatory cytokines and IL-17A mRNA, and caused the activation of p38 MAPK together with down regulation of glucocorticoids recepters (GR) in lung tissue. Monotherapy of IL-17A mAb partially attenuated lung inflammation in OVA-challenged and ozone-exposed mice, while the combination treatment of Dex and IL-17A mAb effectively reduced lung inflammation, inactivated p38 MAPK and up regulated GR in lung tissue. CONCLUSIONS: Ozone exposure worsened OVA-challenged airway inflammation, activation of p38 MAPK and down regulation of GR in OVA-sensitized and -challenged mice, which was effectively counteracted by IL-17A mAb, and combination treatment of IL-17A mAb and Dex shows profound efficacy in inhibiting airway inflammation and improving glucocorticoids insensitivity synergistically.

Abundance of Early Embryonic Primordial Germ Cells Promotes Zebrafish Female Differentiation as Revealed by Lifetime Labeling of Germline.

Teleost sex differentiation largely depends on the number of undifferentiated germ cells. Here, we describe the generation and characterization of a novel transgenic zebrafish line, Tg(piwil1:egfp-UTRnanos3)ihb327Tg, which specifically labels the whole lifetime of germ cells, i.e., from primordial germ cells (PGCs) at shield stage to the oogonia and early stage of oocytes in the ovary and to the early stage of spermatogonia, spermatocyte, and spermatid in the testis. By using this transgenic line, we carefully observed the numbers of PGCs from early embryonic stage to juvenile stage and the differentiation process of ovary and testis. The numbers of PGCs became variable at as early as 1 day post-fertilization (dpf). Interestingly, the embryos with a high amount of PGCs mainly developed into females and the ones with a low amount of PGCs mainly developed into males. By using transient overexpression and transgenic induction of PGC-specific bucky ball (buc), we further proved that induction of abundant PGCs at embryonic stage promoted later ovary differentiation and female development. Taken together, we generate an ideal transgenic line Tg(piwil1:egfp-UTRnanos3)ihb327Tg which can visualize zebrafish germline for a lifetime, and we have utilized this line to study germ cell development and gonad differentiation of teleost and to demonstrate that the increase of PGC number at embryonic stage promotes female differentiation.

Efficient ligase 3-dependent microhomology-mediated end joining repair of DNA double-strand breaks in zebrafish embryos.

DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair is of considerable importance for genomic integrity. Homologous recombination (HR) and non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) are considered as two major mechanistically distinct pathways involved in repairing DSBs. In recent years, another DSB repair pathway, namely, microhomology-mediated end joining (MMEJ), has received increasing attention. MMEJ is generally believed to utilize an alternative mechanism to repair DSBs when NHEJ and other mechanisms fail. In this study, we utilized zebrafish as an in vivo model to study DSB repair and demonstrated that efficient MMEJ repair occurred in the zebrafish genome when DSBs were induced using TALEN (transcription activator-like effector nuclease) or CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)/Cas9 technologies. The wide existence of MMEJ repair events in zebrafish embryos was further demonstrated via the injection of several in vitro-designed exogenous MMEJ reporters. Interestingly, the inhibition of endogenous ligase 4 activity significantly increased MMEJ frequency, and the inhibition of ligase 3 activity severely decreased MMEJ activity. These results suggest that MMEJ in zebrafish is dependent on ligase 3 but independent of ligase 4. This study will enhance our understanding of the mechanisms of MMEJ in vivo and facilitate inducing desirable mutations via DSB-induced repair.