Downregulation of RBO-PI4KIIIα Facilitates Aß42 Secretion and Ameliorates Neural Deficits in Aß42-Expressing Drosophila.

Phosphoinositides and their metabolizing enzymes are involved in Aß42 metabolism and Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis. In yeast and mammals, Eighty-five requiring 3 (EFR3), whose Drosophila homolog is Rolling Blackout (RBO), forms a plasma membrane-localized protein complex with phosphatidylinositol-4-kinase Type IIIα (PI4KIIIα) and a scaffold protein to tightly control the level of plasmalemmal phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate (PI4P). Here, we report that RBO binds to Drosophila PI4KIIIα, and that in an Aß42-expressing Drosophila model, separate genetic reduction of PI4KIIIα and RBO, or pharmacological inhibition of PI4KIIIα ameliorated synaptic transmission deficit, climbing ability decline, premature death, and reduced neuronal accumulation of Aß42 Moreover, we found that RBO-PI4KIIIa downregulation increased neuronal Aß42 release and that PI4P facilitated the assembly or oligomerization of Aß42 in/on liposomes. These results indicate that RBO-PI4KIIIa downregulation facilitates neuronal Aß42 release and consequently reduces neuronal Aß42 accumulation likely via decreasing Aß42 assembly in/on plasma membrane. This study suggests the RBO-PI4KIIIα complex as a potential therapeutic target and PI4KIIIα inhibitors as drug candidates for Alzheimer's disease treatment.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Phosphoinositides and their metabolizing enzymes are involved in Aß42 metabolism and Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis. Here, in an Aß42-expressing Drosophila model, we discovered and studied the beneficial role of downregulating RBO or its interacting protein PI4KIIIα-a protein that tightly controls the plasmalemmal level of PI4P-against the defects caused by Aß42 expression. Mechanistically, RBO-PI4KIIIα downregulation reduced neuronal Aß42 accumulation, and interestingly increased neuronal Aß42 release. This study suggests the RBO-PI4KIIIα complex as a novel therapeutic target, and PI4KIIIα inhibitors as new drug candidates.

[Effect of dihydroartemisinin combined irradiation on the apoptosis of human lung cancer GLC-82 cells and its mechanism study].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of dihydroartemisinin (DHA) combined irradiation on the apoptosis of human lung cancer GLC-82 cells and to study its mechanism. METHODS: The growth inhibition rate of GLC-82 cells acted by different concentrations DHA was detected using MTT assay at 24, 48, and 72 h, respectively. Clone forming test was used. With multi-target single-hit model, the radiosensitization effect was assessed by calculating sensitizing enhancement ratio (SER).The effect of DHA combined irradiation on the apoptosis of GLC-82 cell cycle distribution and apoptosis were measured by flow cytometry. The protein expression of p53, p21, Bcl-2, and Bax were detected by Western blot. RESULTS: Different concentrations DHA (4, 8, 16, 32, 64, and 128 µg/mL) had cytotoxicity on GLC-82 cells. The IC50 for 24, 48, and 72 h was 38.25,20.58, and 10.36 µg/mL, respectively, in obvious dose- and time-dependent manner. The growth inhibition rate was more significantly increased than that of the blank control group (P < 0.01, P<0.05). DHA had sensitization enhancement effect on GLC-82 cells, with SER of 1.4. DHA combined irradiation could obviously change the structure of GLC-82 cells cell cycle and induce apoptosis (with the apoptosis rate of 21.5%), which was significantly different from that of the blank control group (P < 0.05). Western blot showed the expression of p53 and p21 protein could be increased by DHA combined irradiation, and the expression of Bcl-2 protein down-regulated (P <0.01, P <0. 05). CONCLUSIONS: DHA had stronger cytotoxicity and radiosensitization on GLC-82 cells. Its mechanisms might lie in making the arrest of GLC-82 cells' growth at G0/G1 phase, decreasing the ratio of cells at S phase, restoring the function of p53, decreasing the expression of Bcl-2 protein, and inducing apoptosis in GLC-82 cells.

Isolation and partial characterization of an antifungal protein produced by Bacillus licheniformis BS-3.

An antifungal protein produced by Bacillus licheniformis strain BS-3 was purified to homogeneity by ammonium sulfate precipitation, DEAE-52 column chromatography and Sephadex G-75 column chromatography. The purified protein was designated as F2 protein, inhibited the growth of Aspergillus niger, Magnaporthe oryzae and Rhizoctonia solani. F2 protein was a monomer with approximately molecular weight of 31 kDa in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and gave a single peak on High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Using Rhizoctonia solani as the indicator strain, the EC50 of F2 protein was 35.82 µg/mL, displaying a higher antifungal activity in a range of pH 6.0 to pH 10.0, and at a temperature below 70 °C for 30 min. F2 protein was moderately resistant to hydrolysis by trypsin, proteinase K, after which its relative activities were 41.7% and 59.5%, respectively. F2 protein was assayed using various substrates to determine the enzymatic activities, the results showed the hydrolyzing activity on casein, however, no enzymatic activities on colloidal chitin, CM-cellulose, xylan, M. lysodeikticus, and p-nitrophenyl-N-acetylglucosaminide.