MRTF-A-mediated protection against amyloid-ß-induced neuronal injury correlates with restoring autophagy via miR-1273g-3p/mTOR axis in Alzheimer models.

Myocardia-Related Transcription Factors-A (MRTF-A), which is enriched in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex, has been shown to have a protective function against ischemia hypoxia-induced neuronal apoptosis. However, the function of MRTF-A on ß-amyloid peptide (Aß)-induced neurotoxicity and autophagy dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease is still unclear. This study shows that the expression of MRTF-A in the hippocampus of Tg2576 transgenic mice is reduced, and the overexpression of MRTF-A mediated by lentiviral vectors carrying MRTF-A significantly reduces the accumulation of hippocampal ß-amyloid peptide and reduces cognition defect. Overexpression of MRTF-A inhibits neuronal apoptosis, increases the protein levels of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3-II (MAP1LC3/LC3-II) and Beclin1, reduces the accumulation of SQSTM1/p62 protein, and promotes autophagosomes-Lysosomal fusion in vivo and in vitro. Microarray analysis and bioinformatics analysis show that MRTF-A reverses Aß-induced autophagy impairment by up-regulating miR-1273g-3p level leading to negative regulation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), which is confirmed in Aß1-42-treated SH-SY5Y cells. Further, overexpression of MRTF-A reduces Aß1-42-induced neuronal apoptosis. And the effect was abolished by miR-1273g-3p inhibitor or MHY1485 (mTOR agonist), indicating that the protection of MRTF-A on neuronal damage is through targeting miR-1273g-3p/mTOR axis. Targeting this signaling may be a promising approach to protect against Aß-induced neuronal injury.

The c-Myc Oncogene Maintains Corneal Epithelial Architecture at Homeostasis, Modulates p63 Expression, and Enhances Proliferation During Tissue Repair.

Purpose: The transcription factor c-Myc (Myc) plays central regulatory roles in both self-renewal and differentiation of progenitors of multiple cell lineages. Here, we address its function in corneal epithelium (CE) maintenance and repair. Methods: Myc ablation in the limbal-corneal epithelium was achieved by crossing a floxed Myc mouse allele (Mycfl/fl) with a mouse line expressing the Cre recombinase gene under the keratin (Krt) 14 promoter. CE stratification and protein localization were assessed by histology of paraffin and plastic sections and by immunohistochemistry of frozen sections, respectively. Protein levels and gene expression were determined by western blot and real-time quantitative PCR, respectively. CE wound closure was tracked by fluorescein staining. Results: At birth, mutant mice appeared indistinguishable from control littermates; however, their rates of postnatal weight gain were 67% lower than those of controls. After weaning, mutants also exhibited spontaneous skin ulcerations, predominantly in the tail and lower lip, and died 45 to 60 days after birth. The mutant CE displayed an increase in stratal thickness, increased levels of Krt12 in superficial cells, and decreased exfoliation rates. Accordingly, the absence of Myc perturbed protein and mRNA levels of genes modulating differentiation and proliferation processes, including ΔNp63ß, Ets1, and two Notch target genes, Hey1 and Maml1. Furthermore, Myc promoted CE wound closure and wound-induced hyperproliferation. Conclusions: Myc regulates the balance among CE stratification, differentiation, and surface exfoliation and promotes the transition to the hyperproliferative state during wound healing. Its effect on this balance may be exerted through the control of multiple regulators of cell fate, including isoforms of tumor protein p63.

Islet transplantation into brown adipose tissue can delay immune rejection.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease characterized by insulin-producing ß cell destruction. Although islet transplantation restores euglycemia and improves patient outcomes, an ideal transplant site remains elusive. Brown adipose tissue (BAT) has a highly vascularized and antiinflammatory microenvironment. Because these tissue features can promote islet graft survival, we hypothesized that islets transplanted into BAT will maintain islet graft and BAT function while delaying immune-mediated rejection. We transplanted syngeneic and allogeneic islets into BAT or under the kidney capsule of streptozotocin-induced diabetic NOD.Rag and NOD mice to investigate islet graft function, BAT function, metabolism, and immune-mediated rejection. Islet grafts within BAT restored euglycemia similarly to kidney capsule controls. Islets transplanted in BAT maintained expression of islet hormones and transcription factors and were vascularized. Compared with those in kidney capsule and euglycemic mock-surgery controls, no differences in glucose or insulin tolerance, thermogenic regulation, or energy expenditure were observed with islet grafts in BAT. Immune profiling of BAT revealed enriched antiinflammatory macrophages and T cells. Compared with the kidney capsule control, there were significant delays in autoimmune and allograft rejection of islets transplanted in BAT, possibly due to increased antiinflammatory immune populations. Our data support BAT as an alternative islet transplant site that may improve graft survival.

Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4-α (HNF4α) controls the insulin resistance-induced pancreatic ß-cell mass expansion.

BACKGROUND: Regardless of the etiology, any type of DM presents a reduction of insulin-secreting cell mass, so it is important to investigate pathways that induce the increase of this cell mass. AIM: Based on the fact that (1) HNF4α is crucial for ß-cell proliferation, (2) DEX-induced IR promotes ß-cell mass expansion, and (3) the stimulation of ß-cell mass expansion may be an important target for DM therapies, we aimed to investigate whether DEX-induced proliferation of ß pancreatic cells is dependent on HNF4α. METHODS: We used WildType (WT) and Knockout (KO) mice for HNF4-α, treated or not with 100 mg/Kg/day of DEX, for 5 consecutive days. One day after the last injection of DEX the IR was confirmed by ipITT and the mice were euthanized for pancreas removal. RESULTS: In comparison to WT, KO mice presented increased glucose tolerance, lower fasting glucose and increased glucose-stimulates insulin secretion (GSIS). DEX induced IR in both KO and WT mice. In addition, DEX-induced ß-cell mass expansion and an increase in the Ki67 immunostaining were observed only in WT mice, evidencing that IR-induced ß-cell mass expansion is dependent on HNF4α. Also, we observed that DEX-treatment, in an HNF4α-dependent way, promoted an increase in PDX1, PAX4 and NGN3 gene expression. CONCLUSIONS: Our results strongly suggest that DEX-induced IR promotes ß-cell mass expansion through processes of proliferation and neogenesis that depend on the HNF4α activity, pointing to HNF4α as a possible therapeutic target in DM treatment.

Cloning and identification of a new repressor of 3,17ß-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase of Comamonas testosteroni.

BACKGROUND: 3,17ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3,17ß-HSD) is a key enzyme in the metabolic pathway for steroid compounds catabolism in Comamonas testosteroni. Tetracycline repressor (TetR) family, repressors existing in most microorganisms, may play key roles in regulating the expression of 3,17ß-HSD. Previous reports showed that three tetR genes are located in the contig58 of C. testosteroni ATCC 11996 (GenBank: AHIL01000049.1), among which the first tetR gene encoded a potential repressor of 3,17ß-HSD by sensing environmental signals. However, whether the other proposed tetR genes act as repressors of 3,17ß-HSD are still unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS: In the present study, we cloned the second tetR gene and analyzed the regulatory mechanism of the protein on 3,17ß-HSD using electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), gold nanoparticles (AuNPs)-based assay, and loss-of-function analysis. The results showed that the second tetR gene was 660-bp, encoding a 26 kD protein, which could regulate the expression of 3,17ß-HSD gene via binding to the conserved consensus sequences located 1100-bp upstream of the 3,17ß-HSD gene. Furthermore, the mutant strain of C. testosteroni with the second tetR gene knocked-out mutant expresses good biological genetic stability, and the expression of 3,17ß-HSD in the mutant strain is slightly higher than that in the wild type under testosterone induction. CONCLUSIONS: The second tetR gene acts as a negative regulator in 3,17ß-HSD expression, and the mutant has potential application in bioremediation of steroids contaminated environment.

The Neurospora crassa Inducible Q System Enables Simultaneous Optogenetic Amplification and Inversion in Saccharomyces cerevisiae for Bidirectional Control of Gene Expression.

Bidirectional optogenetic control of yeast gene expression has great potential for biotechnological applications. Our group has developed optogenetic inverter circuits that activate transcription using darkness, as well as amplifier circuits that reach high expression levels under limited light. However, because both types of circuits harness Gal4p and Gal80p from the galactose (GAL) regulon they cannot be used simultaneously. Here, we apply the Q System, a transcriptional activator/inhibitor system from Neurospora crassa, to build circuits in Saccharomyces cerevisiae that are inducible using quinic acid, darkness, or blue light. We develop light-repressed OptoQ-INVRT circuits that initiate darkness-triggered transcription within an hour of induction, as well as light-activated OptoQ-AMP circuits that achieve up to 39-fold induction. The Q System does not exhibit crosstalk with the GAL regulon, allowing coutilization of OptoQ-AMP circuits with previously developed OptoINVRT circuits. As a demonstration of practical applications in metabolic engineering, we show how simultaneous use of these circuits can be used to dynamically control both growth and production to improve acetoin production, as well as enable light-tunable co-production of geraniol and linalool, two terpenoids implicated in the hoppy flavor of beer. OptoQ-AMP and OptoQ-INVRT circuits enable simultaneous optogenetic signal amplification and inversion, providing powerful additions to the yeast optogenetic toolkit.

Acetylation of the CspA family protein CspC controls the type III secretion system through translational regulation of exsA in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

The ability to fine tune global gene expression in response to host environment is critical for the virulence of pathogenic bacteria. The host temperature is exploited by the bacteria as a cue for triggering virulence gene expression. However, little is known about the mechanism employed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa to response to host body temperature. CspA family proteins are RNA chaperones that modulate gene expression. Here we explored the functions of P. aeruginosa CspA family proteins and found that CspC (PA0456) controls the bacterial virulence. Combining transcriptomic analyses, RNA-immunoprecipitation and high-throughput sequencing (RIP-Seq), we demonstrated that CspC represses the type III secretion system (T3SS) by binding to the 5' untranslated region of the mRNA of exsA, which encodes the T3SS master regulatory protein. We further demonstrated that acetylation at K41 of the CspC reduces its affinity to nucleic acids. Shifting the culture temperature from 25°C to 37°C or infection of mouse lung increased the CspC acetylation, which derepressed the expression of the T3SS genes, resulting in elevated virulence. Overall, our results identified the regulatory targets of CspC and revealed a regulatory mechanism of the T3SS in response to temperature shift and host in vivo environment.

Deficiency of CXXC finger protein 1 leads to small changes in heart rate but moderate epigenetic alterations and significant protein downregulation of hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated 4 (HCN4) ion channels in mice.

BACKGROUND: The normal cardiac rhythm is generated in the sinoatrial node (SAN). Changes in ionic currents of the SAN may cause sinus arrhythmia. CXXC finger protein 1 (Cfp1) is an epigenetic regulator that is involved in transcriptional regulation of multiple genes. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to explore whether Cfp1 controls SAN function through regulation of ion channel-related genes. METHODS: Electrophysiological study, patch clamp recording, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, optical mapping, chromatin immunoprecipitation, and immunofluorescence staining were performed to evaluate the function of SAN and underlying mechanism on Cfp1 heterozygous knockout (Cfp1+/-) mice. RESULTS: Heart rate was slower slightly and SAN recovery time was longer in Cfp1+/- mice than controls. Whole-cell patch-clamp recording showed that the firing rate of action potentials was reduced in Cfp1+/- mice. The density of If current was reduced by 66% in SAN cells of Cfp1+/- mice but the densities of ICa, ICa-L, and ICa-T were not changed. The hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated 4 (HCN4) mRNA level in SAN tissue of Cfp1+/- mice was reduced. The HCN4 protein was significantly decreased in SAN cells and tissues after heterozygous deletion of Cfp1. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay on cultured HL-1 cells demonstrated that Cfp1 was enriched in the promoter regions of HCN4. Knockdown of Cfp1 reduced H3K4 trimethylation, H3K9 acetylation, and H3K27 acetylation of HCN4 promoter region. CONCLUSION: Deficiency of Cfp1 leads to small changes in heart rate by moderate epigenetic modification alterations and significant protein downregulation of HCN4 ion channels in mice.

UPF1: a potential biomarker in human cancers.

Recently, Up-frameshift protein 1 (UPF1) is reported to be downregulated in various cancers and its low expression is closely correlated with poor prognosis. UPF1 is well known as a master regulator of nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD), which serves as a highly conserved mRNA surveillance process protecting cells from aberrant toxic transcripts. Due to dysfunction of UPF1, NMD fails to proceed, which contributes to tumor initiation and progression. This review shows a brief summary of the aberrant expression, functional roles and molecular mechanisms of UPF1 during tumorigenesis. Increasing evidence has indicated that UPF1 could serve as a potential biomarker for cancer diagnosis and treatment for future clinical applications in cancer.

Targeting hyperactive TGFBR2 for treating MYOCD deficient lung cancer.

Purpose: Clinical success of cancer therapy is severely limited by drug resistance, attributed in large part to the loss of function of tumor suppressor genes (TSGs). Developing effective strategies to treat those tumors is challenging, but urgently needed in clinic. Experimental Design: MYOCD is a clinically relevant TSG in lung cancer patients. Our in vitro and in vivo data confirm its tumor suppressive function. Further analysis reveals that MYOCD potently inhibits stemness of lung cancer stem cells. Mechanistically, MYOCD localizes to TGFBR2 promoter region and thereby recruits PRMT5/MEP50 complex to epigenetically silence its transcription. Conclusions: NSCLC cells deficient of MYOCD are particularly sensitive to TGFBR kinase inhibitor (TGFBRi). TGFBRi and stemness inhibitor synergize with existing drugs to treat MYOCD deficient lung cancers. Our current work shows that loss of function of MYOCD creates Achilles' heels in lung cancer cells, which might be exploited in clinic.

Lost Small Envelope Protein Expression from Naturally Occurring PreS1 Deletion Mutants of Hepatitis B Virus Is Often Accompanied by Increased HBx and Core Protein Expression as Well as Genome Replication.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) transcribes coterminal mRNAs of 0.7 to 3.5 kb from the 3.2-kb covalently closed circular DNA, with the 2.1-kb RNA being most abundant. The 0.7-kb RNA produces HBx protein, a transcriptional transactivator, while the 3.5-kb pregenomic RNA (pgRNA) drives core and P protein translation as well as genome replication. The large (L) and small (S) envelope proteins are translated from the 2.4-kb and 2.1-kb RNAs, respectively, with the majority of the S protein being secreted as noninfectious subviral particles and detected as hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). pgRNA transcription could inhibit transcription of subgenomic RNAs. The present study characterized naturally occurring in-frame deletions in the 3' preS1 region, which not only codes for L protein but also serves as the promoter for 2.1-kb RNA. The human hepatoma cell line Huh7 was transiently transfected with subgenomic expression constructs for envelope (and HBx) proteins, dimeric constructs, or constructs mimicking covalently closed circular DNA. The results confirmed lost 2.1-kb RNA transcription and HBsAg production from many deletion mutants, accompanied by increases in other (especially 2.4-kb) RNAs, intracellular HBx and core proteins, and replicative DNA but impaired virion and L protein secretion. The highest intracellular L protein levels were achieved by mutants that had residual S protein expression or retained the matrix domain in L protein. Site-directed mutagenesis of a high replicating deletion mutant suggested that increased HBx protein expression and blocked virion secretion both contributed to the high replication phenotype. Our findings could help explain why such deletions are selected at a late stage of chronic HBV infection and how they contribute to viral pathogenesis. IMPORTANCE Expression of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) and overproduction of HBsAg by wild-type HBV are implicated in the induction of immune tolerance to achieve chronic infection. How HBV survives the subsequent immune clearance phase remains incompletely understood. Our previous characterization of core promoter mutations to reduce HBeAg production revealed the ability of the 3.5-kb pgRNA to diminish transcription of coterminal RNAs of 2.4 kb, 2.1 kb, and 0.7 kb. The later stage of chronic HBV infection often selects for in-frame deletions in the preS region. Here, we found that many 3' preS1 deletions prevented transcription of the 2.1-kb RNA for HBsAg production, which was often accompanied by increases in intracellular 3.5-, 0.7-, and especially 2.4-kb RNAs, HBx and core proteins, and replicative DNA but lost virion secretion. These findings established the biological consequences of preS1 deletions, thus shedding light on why they are selected and how they contribute to hepatocarcinogenesis.

Coagulase-negative staphylococci release a purine analog that inhibits Staphylococcus aureus virulence.

Coagulase-negative staphylococci and Staphylococcus aureus colonize similar niches in mammals and conceivably compete for space and nutrients. Here, we report that a coagulase-negative staphylococcus, Staphylococcus chromogenes ATCC43764, synthesizes and secretes 6-thioguanine (6-TG), a purine analog that suppresses S. aureus growth by inhibiting de novo purine biosynthesis. We identify a 6-TG biosynthetic gene cluster in S. chromogenes and other coagulase-negative staphylococci including S. epidermidis, S. pseudintermedius and S. capitis. Recombinant S. aureus strains harbouring this operon produce 6-TG and, when used in subcutaneous co-infections in mice with virulent S. aureus USA300, protect the host from necrotic lesion formation. Used prophylactically, 6-TG reduces necrotic skin lesions in mice infected with USA300, and this effect is mediated by abrogation of toxin production. RNAseq analyses reveal that 6-TG downregulates expression of genes coding for purine biosynthesis, the accessory gene regulator (agr) and ribosomal proteins in S. aureus, providing an explanation for its effect on toxin production.

A differentiated Ca2+ signalling phenotype has minimal impact on myocardin expression in an automated differentiation assay using A7r5 cells.

Vascular smooth muscle cells are unusual in that differentiated, contractile cells possess the capacity to "de-differentiate" into a synthetic phenotype that is characterized by being replicative, secretory, and migratory. One aspect of this phenotypic modulation is a shift from voltage-gated Ca2+ signalling in electrically coupled, differentiated cells to increased dependence on store-operated Ca2+ entry and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release in synthetic cells. Conversely, an increased voltage-gated Ca2+ entry is seen when proliferating A7r5 smooth muscle cells quiesce. We asked whether this change in Ca2+ signalling was linked to changes in the expression of the phenotype-regulating transcriptional co-activator myocardin or α-smooth muscle actin, using correlative epifluorescence Ca2+ imaging and immunocytochemistry. Cells were cultured in growth media (DMEM, 10% serum, 25 mM glucose) or differentiation media (DMEM, 1% serum, 5 mM glucose). Coinciding with growth arrest, A7r5 cells became electrically coupled, and spontaneous Ca2+ signalling showed increasing dependence on L-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channels that were blocked with nifedipine (5 µM). These synchronized oscillations were modulated by ryanodine receptors, based on their sensitivity to dantrolene (5 µM). Actively growing cultures had spontaneous Ca2+ transients that were insensitive to nifedipine and dantrolene but were blocked by inhibition of the sarco-endoplasmic reticulum ATPase with cyclopiazonic acid (10 µM). In cells treated with differentiation media, myocardin and αSMA immunoreactivity increased prior to changes in the Ca2+ signalling phenotype, while chronic inhibition of voltage-gated Ca2+ entry modestly increased immunoreactivity of myocardin. Stepwise regression analyses suggested that changes in myocardin expression had a weak relationship with Ca2+ signalling synchronicity, but not frequency or amplitude. In conclusion, we report a 96-well assay and analytical pipeline to study the link between Ca2+ signalling and smooth muscle differentiation. This assay showed that changes in the expression of two molecular differentiation markers (myocardin and αSMA) tended to precede changes in the Ca2+ signalling phenotype.

Prognostic significance of the expression of metastasis-associated in colon cancer-1 in gynecologic cancers and breast cancer: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The prognostic role of the expression of metastasis-associated in colon cancer-1 (MACC1) in gynecologic cancers and breast cancer remains unclear. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to determine the prognostic significance of MACC1 expression in gynecologic cancers and breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PubMed, Web of Science and Embase were comprehensively searched up to February 9, 2020. Studies focusing on the relationship between the expression of MACC1 and prognosis in gynecologic cancers and breast cancer were included into the analysis. Pooled hazard ratio (HR) or odd ratio with 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to estimate the prognostic value of the expression of MACC1. RESULTS: A total of 1,811patients with gynecologic cancers or breast cancer were included into the analysis. Patients with high expression of MACC1 tended to suffer a shorter overall survival (HR = 2.76, 95%CI = 2.12-3.59, P < .01) and recurrence-free survival (HR = 2.37, 95%CI = 1.44-3.90, P < .01) compared to those with low expression of MACC1. High expression of MACC1 was significantly associated with worse tumor differentiation (P = .04), more advanced FIGO stage (P < .01) and earlier lymph node metastasis (P < .01) compared to low expression of MACC1. CONCLUSION: Compared to low expression of MACC1, high expression of MACC1 predicts a worse prognosis of gynecologic cancers and breast cancer. The expression of MACC1 can serve as a prognostic indicator of gynecologic cancers and breast cancer.

A gain-of-function mutation in CITED2 is associated with congenital heart disease.

CITED2 is a transcription co-activator that interacts with TFAP2 and CBP/ P300 transcription factors to regulate the proliferation and differentiation of the cardiac progenitor cells. It acts upstream to NODAL-PITX2 pathways and regulates the left-right asymmetry. Both human genetic and model organism studies have shown that altered expression of CITED2 causes various forms of congenital heart disease. Therefore, we sought to screen the coding region of CITED2 to identify rare genetic variants and assess their impact on the structure and function of the protein. Here, we have screened 271 non-syndromic, sporadic CHD cases by Sanger's sequencing method and detected a non-synonymous variant (c.301C>T, p.P101S) and two synonymous variants (c.21C>A, p.A7A; c.627C>G, p.P209P). The non-synonymous variant c.301C>T (rs201639244) is a rare variant with a minor allele frequency of 0.00011 in the gnomAD browser and 0.0018 in the present study. in vitro analysis has demonstrated that p.P101S mutation upregulates the expression of downstream target genes Gata4, Mef2c, Nfatc1&2, Nodal, Pitx2, and Tbx5 in P19 cells. Luciferase reporter assay also demonstrates enhanced activation of downstream target promoters. Further, in silico analyses implicate that increased activity of mutant CITED2 is possibly due to phosphorylation of Serine residue by proline-directed kinases. Homology modeling and alignment analysis have also depicted differences in hydrogen bonding and tertiary structures of wild-type versus mutant protein. The impact of synonymous variations on the mRNA structure of CITED2has been analyzed by Mfold and relative codon bias calculations. Mfold results have revealed that both the synonymous variants can alter the mRNA structure and stability. Relative codon usage analysis has suggested that the rate of translation is attenuated due to these variations. Altogether, our results from genetic screening as well as in vitro and in silico studies support a possible role of nonsynonymous and synonymous mutations in CITED2contributing to pathogenesis of CHD.

OmpR coordinates the expression of virulence factors of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli in the alimentary tract of Caenorhabditis elegans.

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC), an enteropathogen that colonizes in the intestine, causes severe diarrhea and hemorrhagic colitis in humans by the expression of the type III secretion system (T3SS) and Shiga-like toxins (Stxs). However, how EHEC can sense and respond to the changes in the alimentary tract and coordinate the expression of these virulence genes remains elusive. The T3SS-related genes are known to be regulated by the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE)-encoded regulators, such as Ler, as well as non-LEE-encoded regulators in response to different environmental cues. Herein, we report that OmpR, which participates in the adaptation of E. coli to osmolarity and pH alterations, is required for EHEC infection in Caenorhabditis elegans. OmpR protein was able to directly bind to the promoters of ler and stx1 (Shiga-like toxin 1) and regulate the expression of T3SS and Stx1, respectively, at the transcriptional level. Moreover, we demonstrated that the expression of ler in EHEC is in response to the intestinal environment and is regulated by OmpR in C. elegans. Taken together, we reveal that OmpR is an important regulator of EHEC which coordinates the expression of virulence factors during gastrointestinal infection in vivo.

Protein expression pattern of calcium-responsive transactivator in early postnatal and adult testes.

Calcium-responsive transactivator (CREST), a nuclear protein highly expressed in postmitotic neurons, is involved in the regulation of cell cycle, differentiation and dendritic development of neuronal cells. Its mRNA has been detected in the testis of adult rat, whilst its protein expression and distribution pattern in the testis remain to be elucidated. In this study, we examined the distribution of CREST in the adult testes of both rats and human as well as the expression pattern of CREST in the testes of postnatal developing rats. In the adult testes of both human and rats, immunohistochemical analysis revealed that CREST was selectively distributed in the mature Sertoli cells but not in the spermatogenic cells. In the testes of postnatal developmental rats, CREST was expressed not only in Sertoli cells but also in the gonocytes and spermatogenic cells at the initial stage of spermatogenic cell differentiation. CREST immunoreactivity continued to increase in Sertoli cells during differentiation, reaching its peak in adulthood. However, CREST immunostaining intensity dramatically decreased as the spermatogenic cells differentiate, disappearing in the post-differentiation stage. Furthermore, Brg1 and p300, two CREST-interacting proteins ubiquitously expressed in the body, are found to be colocalized with CREST in the spermatogenic epithelial cells including Sertoli cells. The unique expression pattern of CREST in developing testis suggests that CREST might play regulatory roles in the differentiation of spermatogenic epithelial cells. The Sertoli cell-specific expression of CREST in the adulthood hints that CREST might be a novel biomarker for the mature Sertoli cells.

RSF1 requires CEBP/ß and hSNF2H to promote IL-1ß-mediated angiogenesis: the clinical and therapeutic relevance of RSF1 overexpression and amplification in myxofibrosarcomas.

Myxofibrosarcoma is genetically complex and lacks effective nonsurgical treatment strategies; thus, elucidation of novel molecular drivers is urgently needed. Reanalyzing public myxofibrosarcoma datasets, we identified mRNA upregulation and recurrent gain of RSF1 and characterized this chromatin remodeling gene. Myxofibrosarcoma cell lines were employed to elucidate the oncogenic mechanisms of RSF1 by genetic manipulation and two IL-1ß-neutralizing antibodies (RD24, P2D7KK), highlighting the regulatory basis and targetability of downstream IL-1ß-mediated angiogenesis. Tumor samples were assessed for RSF1, IL-1ß, and microvascular density (MVD) by immunohistochemistry and for RSF1 gene status by FISH. In vivo, RSF1-silenced and P2D7KK-treated xenografts were analyzed for tumor-promoting effects and the IL-1ß-linked therapeutic relevance of RSF1, respectively. In vitro, RSF1 overexpression promoted invasive and angiogenic phenotypes with a stronger proangiogenic effect. RT-PCR profiling identified IL1B as a top-ranking candidate upregulated by RSF1. RSF1 required hSNF2H and CEBP/ß to cotransactivate the IL1B promoter, which increased the IL1B mRNA level, IL-1ß secretion and angiogenic capacity. Angiogenesis induced by RSF1-upregulated IL-1ß was counteracted by IL1B knockdown and both IL-1ß-neutralizing antibodies. Clinically, RSF1 overexpression was highly associated with RSF1 amplification, IL-1ß overexpression, increased MVD and higher grades (all P ≤ 0.01) and independently predicted shorter disease-specific survival (P = 0.019, hazard ratio: 4.556). In vivo, both RSF1 knockdown and anti-IL-1ß P2D7KK (200 µg twice weekly) enabled significant growth inhibition and devascularization in xenografts. In conclusion, RSF1 overexpression, partly attributable to RSF1 amplification, contributes a novel proangiogenic function by partnering with CEBP/ß to cotransactivate IL1B, highlighting its prognostic, pathogenetic, and therapeutic relevance in myxofibrosarcomas.

The Increased Accumulation of Staphylococcus aureus Virulence Factors Is Maximized in a purR Mutant by the Increased Production of SarA and Decreased Production of Extracellular Proteases.

Mutation of purR was previously shown to enhance the virulence of Staphylococcus aureus in a murine sepsis model, and this cannot be fully explained by increased expression of genes within the purine biosynthesis pathway. Rather, the increased production of specific S. aureus virulence factors, including alpha toxin and the fibronectin-binding proteins, was shown to play an important role. Mutation of purR was also shown previously to result in increased abundance of SarA. Here, we demonstrate by transposon sequencing that mutation of purR in the USA300 strain LAC increases fitness in a biofilm while mutation of sarA has the opposite effect. Therefore, we assessed the impact of sarA on reported purR-associated phenotypes by characterizing isogenic purR, sarA, and sarA/purR mutants. The results confirmed that mutation of purR results in increased abundance of alpha toxin, protein A, the fibronectin-binding proteins, and SarA, decreased production of extracellular proteases, an increased capacity to form a biofilm, and increased virulence in an osteomyelitis model. Mutation of sarA had the opposite effects on all of these phenotypes and, other than bacterial burdens in the bone, all of the phenotypes of sarA/purR mutants were comparable to those of sarA mutants. Limiting the production of extracellular proteases reversed all of the phenotypes of sarA mutants and most of those of sarA/purR mutants. We conclude that a critical component defining the virulence of a purR mutant is the enhanced production of SarA, which limits protease production to an extent that promotes the accumulation of critical S. aureus virulence factors.

Akirin is critical for early tinman induction and subsequent formation of the heart in Drosophila melanogaster.

The regulation of formation of the Drosophila heart by the Nkx 2.5 homologue Tinman is a key event during embryonic development. In this study, we identify the highly conserved transcription cofactor Akirin as a key factor in the earliest induction of tinman by the Twist transcription cofactor. akirin mutant embryos display a variety of morphological defects in the heart, including abnormal spacing between rows of aortic cells and abnormal patterning of the aortic outflow tract. akirin mutant embryos have a greatly reduced level of tinman transcripts, together with a reduction of Tinman protein in the earliest stages of cardiac patterning. Further, akirin mutants have reduced numbers of Tinman-positive cardiomyoblasts, concomitant with disrupted patterning and organization of the heart. Finally, despite the apparent formation of the heart in akirin mutants, these mutant hearts exhibit fewer coordinated contractions in akirin mutants compared with wild-type hearts. These results indicate that Akirin is crucial for the first induction of tinman by the Twist transcription factor, and that the success of the cardiac patterning program is highly dependent upon establishing the proper level of tinman at the earliest steps of the cardiac developmental pathway.