Research on Gate Opening Control Based on Improved Beetle Antennae Search.

To address the issues of sluggish response and inadequate precision in traditional gate opening control systems, this study presents a novel approach for direct current (DC) motor control utilizing an enhanced beetle antennae search (BAS) algorithm to fine-tune the parameters of a fuzzy proportional integral derivative (PID) controller. Initially, the mathematical model of the DC motor drive system is formulated. Subsequently, employing a search algorithm, the three parameters of the PID controller are optimized in accordance with the control requirements. Next, software simulation is employed to analyze the system's response time and overshoot. Furthermore, a comparative analysis is conducted between fuzzy PID control based on the improved beetle antennae search algorithm, and conventional approaches such as the traditional beetle antennae search algorithm, the traditional particle swarm algorithm, and the enhanced particle swarm algorithm. The findings indicate the superior performance of the proposed method, characterized by reduced oscillations and accelerated convergence compared to the alternative methods.

A Time-of-Flight Estimation Method for Acoustic Ranging and Thermometry Based on Digital Lock-In Filtering.

Accurate ranging and real-time temperature monitoring are essential for metrology and safety in electrical conduit applications. This paper proposes an acoustic time-of-flight (TOF) estimation method based on the digital lock-in filtering (DLF) technique for conduit ranging and thermometry. The method establishes the relationship between the frequency and the time domain by applying a linear frequency modulated Chirp signal as the sound source and using the DLF technique to extract the first harmonic of the characteristic frequencies of the transmitted and received signals. Acoustic TOF estimation in the conduit is then achieved by calculating the mathematical expectation of the time difference between each characteristic frequency in the time-frequency relationship of the two signals. The experimental results with enhanced noise interference on different conduit lengths and various temperature conditions, proved that the proposed DLF method can establish a robust linear time-frequency relationship according to the characteristics of the Chirp signal, and the measurement accuracy of TOF has also been confirmed. Compared to the conventional method, the DLF method provides the lowest absolute error and standard deviation for both distance and temperature measurements with an enhanced robustness.

Candidatus Kaistella beijingensis sp. nov., Isolated from a Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant, Is Involved in Sludge Foaming.

Biological foaming (or biofoaming) is a frequently occurring problem in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and is attributed to the overwhelming growth of filamentous bulking and foaming bacteria (BFB). Biological foaming has been intensively investigated, with BFB like Microthrix and Skermania having been identified from WWTPs and implicated in foaming. Nevertheless, studies are still needed to improve our understanding of the microbial diversity of WWTP biofoams and how microbial activities contribute to foaming. In this study, sludge foaming at the Qinghe WWTP of China was monitored, and sludge foams were investigated using culture-dependent and culture-independent microbiological methods. The foam microbiomes exhibited high abundances of Skermania, Mycobacterium, Flavobacteriales, and Kaistella. A previously unknown bacterium, Candidatus Kaistella beijingensis, was cultivated from foams, its genome was sequenced, and it was phenotypically characterized. Ca. K. beijingensis exhibits hydrophobic cell surfaces, produces extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), and metabolizes lipids. Ca. K. beijingensis abundances were proportional to EPS levels in foams. Several proteins encoded by the Ca. K. beijingensis genome were identified from EPS that was extracted from sludge foams. Ca. K. beijingensis populations accounted for 4 to 6% of the total bacterial populations in sludge foam samples within the Qinghe WWTP, although their abundances were higher in spring than in other seasons. Cooccurrence analysis indicated that Ca. K. beijingensis was not a core node among the WWTP community network, but its abundances were negatively correlated with those of the well-studied BFB Skermania piniformis among cross-season Qinghe WWTP communities. IMPORTANCE Biological foaming, also known as scumming, is a sludge separation problem that has become the subject of major concern for long-term stable activated sludge operation in decades. Biological foaming was considered induced by foaming bacteria. However, the occurrence and deterioration of foaming in many WWTPs are still not completely understood. Cultivation and characterization of the enriched bacteria in foaming are critical to understand their genetic, physiological, phylogenetic, and ecological traits, as well as to improve the understanding of their relationships with foaming and performance of WWTPs.

Casimicrobium huifangae gen. nov., sp. nov., a Ubiquitous "Most-Wanted" Core Bacterial Taxon from Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants.

Microorganisms in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) play a key role in the removal of pollutants from municipal and industrial wastewaters. A recent study estimated that activated sludge from global municipal WWTPs harbors 1 × 109 to 2 × 109 microbial species, the majority of which have not yet been cultivated, and 28 core taxa were identified as "most-wanted" ones (L. Wu, D. Ning, B. Zhang, Y. Li, et al., Nat Microbiol 4:1183-1195, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-019-0426-5). Cultivation and characterization of the "most-wanted" core bacteria are critical to understand their genetic, physiological, phylogenetic, and ecological traits, as well as to improve the performance of WWTPs. In this study, we isolated a bacterial strain, designated SJ-1, that represents a novel cluster within Betaproteobacteria and corresponds to OTU_16 within the 28 core taxa in the "most-wanted" list. Strain SJ-1 was identified and nominated as Casimicrobium huifangae gen. nov., sp. nov., of a novel family, Casimicrobiaceae. C. huifangae is ubiquitously distributed and is metabolically versatile. In addition to mineralizing various carbon sources (including carbohydrates, aromatic compounds, and short-chain fatty acids), C. huifangae is capable of nitrate reduction and phosphorus accumulation. The population of C. huifangae accounted for more than 1% of the bacterial population of the activated sludge microbiome from the Qinghe WWTP, which showed seasonal dynamic changes. Cooccurrence analysis suggested that C. huifangae was an important module hub in the bacterial network of Qinghe WWTP.IMPORTANCE The activated sludge process is the most widely applied biotechnology and is one of the best ecosystems to address microbial ecological principles. Yet, the cultivation of core bacteria and the exploration of their physiology and ecology are limited. In this study, the core and novel bacterial taxon C. huifangae was cultivated and characterized. This study revealed that C. huifangae functioned as an important module hub in the activated sludge microbiome, and it potentially plays an important role in municipal wastewater treatment plants.

Reweighting Signal Spectra to Improve Spatial Sensitivity for an Electrostatic Sensor.

The ring-shaped electrostatic sensor is a gas-solid flow measurement system, which has a problem of flow profile dependency. To deal with this problem, a method was introduced in this paper, which was to repeatedly use the successive "tails" of the sensor's overall output power spectrum to identify elementary frequency components corresponding to the equivalent roping flow streams. From the radial locations of these equivalent flow streams, the decomposed power frequency spectral components were then reweighted accordingly. Through such signal processing, an improved electrostatic sensor spatial sensitivity was achieved without modifying the sensor's structure. The method of interpolation was presented and discussed, and the effect of velocity profile on the proposed method was evaluated under different velocity profiles.

Effect of Temperature and Humidity Coupling on the Ageing Failure of Carbon Fiber Composite/Titanium Bonded Joints.

Temperature and humidity coupling has a more significant effect on the failure properties of bonded joints than a single factor, and there is not enough research on this. In this paper, joints bonded with strong toughness structural adhesives are selected for the experimental analysis of joints aged for 240 h, 480 h, and 720 h at temperatures of 40 °C and 60 °C and a humidity of 95% and 100%. The sequential double Fick's model was used to fit the water absorption of the joints, and the comparison yielded that the water absorption of the adhesive was in accordance with Fick's law. The quasi-static tensile tests revealed that the reduction in mechanical properties of the joints was positively correlated with the moisture content in the environment, while the competing mechanisms of post-temperature curing and hydroplasticization resulted in a slight increase in the failure strength and energy uptake of the aged joints, which is in agreement with the experimental results of the Fourier infrared spectroscopy. A combination of macroscopic failure sections and scanning electron microscope (SEM) images yielded that the failure mode of the joints changed from cohesive failure to interfacial failure with increasing ageing time. In addition, reliability analyses for the fatigue testing of joints are expected to provide guidance for the life design of bonding technology in the vehicle service temperature range.

The Optimization Study of Rheological Characteristics of Wind Power Grease Based on Gel-State.

The gel-state grease plays a vital and indispensable role in the long-term operation of wind turbines. To reduce carbon emissions and increase the reliability of wind turbines, this paper takes the gel-state Mobil SHC 461WT grease as the study object. Firstly, the rheological properties of the gel-state Mobil SHC 461WT grease were investigated using the Anton Paar MCR302 rotational rheometer. Secondly, the rheological characteristics of three different gel states of the Mobil SHC 461WT grease (additive content of 0.1% of RFM3000, SK3115, and PV611, respectively, in the gel-state Mobil SHC 461WT grease) were optimized under the same conditions. Finally, according to the experimental results and the Herschel-Bulkley (H-B) model, the RFM3000 additive has the best effect on improving the rheological characteristics of the gel-state Mobil SHC 461WT grease. This research provides a new idea and direction for the technological advancement of the gel-state grease industry.

Kinematics and spatial structure analysis of TBM gunite robot based on D-H parameter method.

In modern tunnel construction, TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine) plays a very important role. In response to the needs of tunnel wall reinforcement and TBM automated construction for tunnel construction, a shotcrete mechanism mounted on the TBM is designed. In order to evaluate the kinematic performance of the mechanism, this paper studies the forward and inverse kinematics and spatial architecture of the TBM shotcrete robot. Firstly, based on the D-H parameter method, the number of joints and links is determined and structural analysis is performed to obtain the robot's forward kinematics equation, achieving the mapping between joint space and pose space. Then, by determining the joint variables, the mapping of the end tool in Cartesian space is achieved. Finally, based on the Monte Carlo random sampling method, the workspace of the robot is constructed, and its reachability and flexibility within the robot workspace are evaluated. The performance of the device is verified by building a prototype, which meets the requirements well. Through the research in this paper, it can provide theoretical basis and guidance for the design and control of the shotcrete robot.

[Cross-talk between ERK and NF-kappaB signal transduction pathways in the hepatocytes expressing hepatitis C virus nonstructural protein 3].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the cross-talk between extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and nuclear factor (NF-kappaB) signal transduction pathways in the hepatocytes expressing hepatitis C virus nonstructural protein 3 (HCV NS3). METHODS: A cell line QSG7701/NS3, which stably expressed HCV NS3 protein, was constructed by transfecting plasmid pcDNA3.1-NS3 into a human immortalized hepatocyte line QSG7701. Before and after QSG7701/NS3 cells were treated by MEK inhibitor PD98059, the phosphorylation level of ERK and the expression of cyclin D1 protein were detected by Western blot; the DNA binding activities of activator protein 1 (AP-1) and NF-kappaB were evaluated with electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). Cell cycles were measured by flow cytometry (FCM); the effects of PD98059 on the cell proliferation were determined by MTT assay. RESULTS: HCV NS3 protein could up-regulate the phosphorylation of ERK and the expression level of cyclin D1 in QSG7701 cells. PD98059 could inhibit the cell proliferation mediated by HCV NS3 protein, down-regulate the activities of AP-1 and NF-kappaB, and suppress the expression of cyclin D1. CONCLUSION: The inhibition of ERK can suppress the DNA binding activity of NF-kappaB and the cell proliferation mediated by HCV NS3 protein in a dose-dependent manner. There may be a cross-talk between ERK and NF-kappaB signal transduction pathways, which may exert synergistic action on the proliferation and malignant transformation of hepatocytes.

[Mechanism of hepatocyte transformation by HCV NS3 using two-dimensional electrophoresis and mass spectrometry].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the proteome of hepatocyte transformation by hepatitis C virus (HCV) nonstructural protein 3 (NS3). METHODS: Human hepatocyte line QSG7701 stably expressing HCV NS3 C-terminal deleted protein was constructed, which was named pRcHCNS3/QSG. Two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) was used to separate the total protein of pRcHCNS3/QSG and pRcCMV transfected cells (pRcCMV/QSG) respectively. Differentially expressed protein spots were identified by mass spectrometry. Western blot confirmed the differentially expressed proteins. RESULTS: 2-DE profiles with high resolution and reproducibility were obtained. The average spots of pRcHCNS3/QSG and pRcCMV/QSG were (1183+/-77) and (1095+/-82) respectively, and (920+/-60) spots were matched. Twenty-one differentially expressed protein spots were chosen randomly and 15 were identified by mass spectrometry. Some proteins such as Ras, P38 and HD53 which were involved in signal transduction were increased in pRcHCNS3/QSG cells. Western blot also showed strong expression of phosphorylated P44/42 and P38 in pRcHCNS3/QSG cells. Other differentially expressed proteins were related to cell cycle regulation, immunoreaction, tumor invasion and metastasis, and liver metabolizability. CONCLUSION: HCV NS3 might be involved in cell malignant transformation through affecting protein expression and signal transduction such as MAPK cascade. Further study on the signal transductions and their relationship would not only be helpful to explore the mechanism of HCV related HCC, but also provide a new idea for the molecular treatment of HCC.

A Genome-Scale Model of Shewanella piezotolerans Simulates Mechanisms of Metabolic Diversity and Energy Conservation.

Shewanella piezotolerans strain WP3 belongs to the group 1 branch of the Shewanella genus and is a piezotolerant and psychrotolerant species isolated from the deep sea. In this study, a genome-scale model was constructed for WP3 using a combination of genome annotation, ortholog mapping, and physiological verification. The metabolic reconstruction contained 806 genes, 653 metabolites, and 922 reactions, including central metabolic functions that represented nonhomologous replacements between the group 1 and group 2 Shewanella species. Metabolic simulations with the WP3 model demonstrated consistency with existing knowledge about the physiology of the organism. A comparison of model simulations with experimental measurements verified the predicted growth profiles under increasing concentrations of carbon sources. The WP3 model was applied to study mechanisms of anaerobic respiration through investigating energy conservation, redox balancing, and the generation of proton motive force. Despite being an obligate respiratory organism, WP3 was predicted to use substrate-level phosphorylation as the primary source of energy conservation under anaerobic conditions, a trait previously identified in other Shewanella species. Further investigation of the ATP synthase activity revealed a positive correlation between the availability of reducing equivalents in the cell and the directionality of the ATP synthase reaction flux. Comparison of the WP3 model with an existing model of a group 2 species, Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, revealed that the WP3 model demonstrated greater flexibility in ATP production under the anaerobic conditions. Such flexibility could be advantageous to WP3 for its adaptation to fluctuating availability of organic carbon sources in the deep sea. IMPORTANCE The well-studied nature of the metabolic diversity of Shewanella bacteria makes species from this genus a promising platform for investigating the evolution of carbon metabolism and energy conservation. The Shewanella phylogeny is diverged into two major branches, referred to as group 1 and group 2. While the genotype-phenotype connections of group 2 species have been extensively studied with metabolic modeling, a genome-scale model has been missing for the group 1 species. The metabolic reconstruction of Shewanella piezotolerans strain WP3 represented the first model for Shewanella group 1 and the first model among piezotolerant and psychrotolerant deep-sea bacteria. The model brought insights into the mechanisms of energy conservation in WP3 under anaerobic conditions and highlighted its metabolic flexibility in using diverse carbon sources. Overall, the model opens up new opportunities for investigating energy conservation and metabolic adaptation, and it provides a prototype for systems-level modeling of other deep-sea microorganisms.

The complete mitochondrial DNA genome of Chinese Daphnia carinata (Clasocera: Daphniidae).

In this paper, we determined the complete mitochondrial genome of Chinese Daphnia carinata for the first time by the long and accurate polymerase chain reaction and primer-walking methods. It was 15,245 bp in length, with an A + T content of 70.35%, containing 37 typical animal mitochondrial genes and an A + T-rich region. The COI gene started with ACTA. All the 22 typical tRNA genes had a classical cloverleaf structure except for trnS1, in which the D-stem pairings in the DHU arm were absent.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the Chinese Daphnia pulex (Cladocera, Daphniidae).

Daphnia pulex has played an important role in fresh-water ecosystems. In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of Daphnia pulex from Chaohu, China was sequenced for the first time. It was accomplished using long-PCR methods and a primer-walking sequencing strategy with genus-specific primers. The mitogenome was found to be 15,306 bp in length. It contained 13 protein-coding genes, two rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes and a typical control region. This research revealed an overall A+T content of 64.50%. All of the 22 typical animal tRNA genes had a classical clover-leaf structure except for trnS1, in which its DHU arm simply formed a loop. The lengths of small and large rRNA were 744 bp and 1,313 bp, respectively. The A+T-rich region was 723 bp in length, which is longer than that from the North American species (689 bp). In terms of structure and composition, many similarities were found between the Chinese and North American Daphnia pulex.

Effect of hepatitis C virus nonstructural protein NS3 on proliferation and MAPK phosphorylation of normal hepatocyte line.

AIM: To study the effect of hepatitis C virus nonstructural region 3 (HCV NS3) protein on proliferation and transformation of normal human liver cell line. METHODS: QSG7701 cells were transfected with pRcHCNS3-5', pRcHCNS3-3' and pRcCMV using lipofectamine transfecting technique and selected with G418 method. Expression of HCV NS3 protein was determined by immunohistochemistry. Biologic characteristics of transfected cells were evaluated by population doubling time and soft agar assays. Activation of MAPK was analyzed using Western blot with phosphospecific monoclonal antibody against dually phosphorylated MAPK. RESULTS: QSG7701 cells transfected with pRcHCNS3-5' showed strong intracellular expression of HCVNS3 protein, and the positive signal was localized in cytoplasm. The expressing strength of HCVNS3 protein in pRcHCNS3-3'-transfected cells was weaker than that in pRcHCNS3-5'-transfected cells. The population doubling time in the transfected cells with pRcHCNS3-5' (12 h) was much shorter than those with pRcHCNS3-3', pRcCMV and normal cells (24, 26, 28 h, respectively) (P<0.01). The transfected cells with pRcHCNS3-5' showed much more anchorage independent colonies than that in those with pRcHCNS3-3' and pRcCMV (P<0.01). The cloning efficiencies of transfected cells with pRcHCNS3-5', pRcHCNS3-3', pRcCMV and controls were 33%, 1.33%, 1.46%, 1.11% respectively. The level of phosphorylated MAPK in the cells with pRcHCNS3-5' was much higher than that in those with pRcHCNS3-3'and pRcCMV and normal cells (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that (1) QSG7701 cells are a better human liver cell line for investigating the pathogenesis of HCV NS3 protein. (2) 5' region of the HCV genome segment encoding HCV NS3 is involved in cell growth and cell phenotype. (3) HCV NS3 N-terminal peptide may up-regulate the activation of MAPK, but not affect the expression of MAPK.

[The effects of hepatitis C virus core protein on biological behaviors of human hepatocytes].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein on the biological behaviors of human hepatocytes and their underlying mechanism. METHODS: A cell line expressing stably HCV core protein-QSG7701/core was constructed by transfecting the plasmid pcDNA3.1-core (expressing HCV core protein) into the human immortalized hepatocytes of the line QSG7701. The biological behaviors of these transfected cells were observed through plating-efficiency test, growth curve and flow cytometry (FCM). The association between HCV core protein and the expression of activated caspase-3 protein was evaluated by immunocytochemistry. The phosphorylation of mitogen-activate protein kinases (MAPKs) was detected with Western blotting. The activation of nuclear transcriptors AP-1, important effector molecule of MAPKs, and nuclear factor-kappa binding (NF-kappaB) were evaluated with luciferase assays and electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). RESULTS: HCV core protein was expressed in the QSG7701/core cells and not in the QSG7701/pcDNA3.1 cells and untransfected QSG7701 cells. There were no significant differences in the expression levels of total P44/42(MAPK), p38(MAPK) and JNK among the QSG7701/core cells, QSG7701/pcDNA3.1 cells and untransfected QSG7701 cells. The expression levels of phophorylated P44/42(MAPK), p38(MAPK) and JNK in the QSG7701/core cells were significantly weaker than those in the QSG7701/pcDNA3.1 cells and untransfected QSG7701 cells. Plating efficiency test showed that the clone formation rate of the QSG7701/core cells was 32.25%, significantly lower than those of QSG7701/pcDNA3.1 and untransfected QSG7701 cells (47.5% and 42.5% respectively, both P < 0.01). The growth curve showed that the multiplication time of the QSG7701/core cells was 36 hours, significantly longer than those of the QSG7701/pcDNA3.1 and untransfected QSG7701 cells (27 and 28 hours respectively). FCM showed that the apoptotic rate of the QSG770/1core was 1.04%, lower than those of the QSG7701/pcDNA3.1 and untransfected QSG7701 cells (1.68% and 3.7% respectively), and that the percentage of theQSG770/1core cells at the G(0)/G(1) stage increased and those in the S stage decreased. Immunocytochemistry showed that the expression intensity of caspase-3 in the QSG7701/core cells was significantly weaker than those of the QSG7701/pcDNA3.1 cells and untransfected QSG7701 cells. CONCLUSION: HCV core protein suppresses cell proliferation and apoptosis by downregmicrolating the phosphorylation of MAPKs and activating the transcriptors AP-1 and NF-kappaB, thus promoting the persistency of HCV infection which leads to chronic hepatitis C and hepatocellular cancer.

[Regulation of hepatitis C virus core protein on the activity of signal transducers and activators of transcription 3].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the regulation of hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein on the activity of signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (stat3). METHODS: A cell line expressing stable HCV core protein-QSG7701-core was constructed by transfecting the pcDNA3. 1-core (expressing HCV core protein) into the human immortalized hepatocyte line QSG7701. The phosphorylation and DNA binding activity of stat3 were detected by immunocytochemistry, Western blot, and electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). RESULTS: The expression level of phosphorylated stat3 in QSG7701-core cells was significantly lower than that in QSG7701-pcDNA3. 1 cells and untransfected QSG7701 cells, but there were no significant differences in the expression levels of total stat3 among the 3 groups. The positive signal of phosphorylated stat3 in nucleus of QSG7701-core cells was obviously weaker than that in QSG7701-pcDNA3. 1 cells and untransfected QSG7701 cells. EMSA showed that DNA binding activity of stat3 in QSG7701-core cells significantly decreased. CONCLUSION: The expressionof HCV core protein in human hepatocyte line may suppress the phosphorylation and DNA binding activity of stat3, which may be one of the causes for resistance against interferon.

Hepatocyte transformation and tumor development induced by hepatitis C virus NS3 c-terminal deleted protein.

AIM: To study the effect of hepatitis C virus nonstructural protein 3 c-terminal deleted protein (HCV NS3-5') on hepatocyte transformation and tumor development. METHODS: QSG7701 cells were transfected with plasmid pRcHCNS3-5' (expressing HCV NS3 c-terminal deleted protein) by lipofectamine and selected in G418. The expression of HCV NS3 gene and protein was determined by PCR and immunohistochemistry respectively. Biological behavior of transfected cells was observed through cell proliferation assay, anchorage-independent growth and tumor development in nude mice. The expression of HCV NS3 and c-myc proteins in the induced tumor was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: HCV NS3 was strongly expressed in QSG7701 cells transfected with plasmid pRcHCNS3-5' and the positive signal was located in cytoplasm. Cell proliferation assay showed that the population doubling time in pRcHCNS3-5' transfected cells was much shorter than that in pRcCMV and non-transfected cells (24 h, 26 h, 28 h respectively). The cloning ratio of cells transfected with pRcHCNS3-5', pRcCMV and non-transfected cells was 33 %, 1.46 %, 1.11 %, respectively, the former one was higher than that in the rest two groups (P<0.01). Tumor development was seen in nude mice inoculated with pRcHCNS3-5' transfected cells after 15 days. HE staining showed its feature of hepatocarcinoma, and immunohistochemistry confirmed the expressions of HCV NS3 and c-myc proteins in tumor tissue. The positive control group inoculated with HepG2 also showed tumor development, while no tumor developed in the nude mice injected with pRcCMV and non-transfected cells after 40 days. CONCLUSION: 1.HCV NS3 c-terminal deleted protein has transforming and oncogenic potential. 2. Human liver cell line QSG7701 may be used as a good model to study HCV NS3 pathogenesis.

Hepatitis C virus nonstructural protein NS(3) and telomerase activity.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of hepatitis C virus nonstructural protein NS(3) (HCV NS3) on telomerase activity and carcinogenesis. METHODS: Streptavidin-peroxidase (SP) conjugated method was used to detect the expression of HCV NS(3) protein in NIH3T3 cells transfected with plasmid pRcHCNS(3)-5' and pRcHCNS(3)-3'. Telomerase activity was detected by an in situ telomerase activity labeling method, telomeric repeat amplification protocol polymerase chain reaction (TRAP-PCR) and telomerase PCR enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technology in the transfected and non-transfected NIH3T3 cells. RESULTS: HCV NS(3) protein was expressed in the NIH3T3 cells transfected with plasmid pRcHCNS(3)-5' expressing HCV NS(3) C-terminal deleted protein or with plasmid pRcHCNS(3)-3' expressing HCV NS(3) N-terminal deleted protein. The positive signal of HCV NS(3) protein was localized in the cytoplasm of NIH3T3 cells, and the signal intensity of the former was stronger. Telomerase activity in NIH3T3 cells transfected with plasmid pRcHCNS(3)-5' was stronger than that in NIH3T3 cells transfected with plasmid pRcHCNS(3)-3' (P < 0.01), whereas telomerase activity in NIH3T3 cells transfected with plasmid pRcCMV or untreated NIH3T3 cells was weaker than that in NIH3T3 cells transfected with plasmid pRcHCNS(3)-3' (P < 0.05). The expression level of HCV NS(3) protein was significantly correlated with the strength of telomerase activity (P < 0.05). The results obtained by in situ telomerase activity labeling corresponded to the results by telomerase PCR ELISA technology. CONCLUSIONS: HCV NS(3) protein may activate telomerase through endogenous mechanism to induce host cell transformation. The effect of HCV NS(3) C-terminal deleted protein on telomerase activity in the host cell may be stronger than that of HCV NS(3) N-terminal deleted protein. In situ telomerase activity labeling was a reliable technology for studying pathological morphology and telomerase activity in tissues and cells.

[Hepatocyte transformation and tumor development induced by hepatitis C virus NS3 N-terminal protein].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of hepatitis C virus nonstructural protein 3 N-terminal protein (HCV NS3-5') on hepatocyte transformation and tumor development. METHODS: QSG7701 cells were transfected with plasmid pRcHCNS3-5' (expressing HCV NS3 N-terminal protein) by lipofectamine and selected in G418. The expression of HCV NS3 gene and protein was determined by PCR and immunohistochemistry respectively. Biological effect of transfected cells was observed through cell proliferation assay, anchor independent growth, and tumor development in nude mice. The expression of HCV NS3 and c-myc protein in the induced tumor was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: HCV NS3 was strongly expressed in QSG7701 cells transfected with plasmid pRcHCNS3-5' and the positive signal was located in cytoplasm. The HCV NS3 expression and c-myc protein in the induced cytoplasm. Cell proliferation assay showed that the population doubling time in the pRcHCNS3-5' transfected cells was much shorter than that in the pRcCMV and non-transfected cells (24 h, 26 h, 28 h respectively). The cloning efficiencies of transfected cells with pRcHCNS3-5', pRcCMV and non-transfected cells were 33.0%, 1.5%, 1.1% respectively (P < 0.01). Tumor developed in nude mice inoculated with pRcHCNS3-5'transfected cells 15 days after the inoculation. HE staining showed hepatocarcinoma character and immunohistochemistry confirmed HCV NS3 and c-myc expression in the tumor tissue. The positive control group also showed tumor development, while no tumor mass obtained in the nude mice inoculated with pRcCMV and non-transfected cells even 40 days after the injection. CONCLUSION: HCV NS3 N-terminal protein showed cell transformation and tumorigenic features.

Cell transformation and proteome alteration in QSG7701 cells transfected with hepatitis C virus non-structural protein 3.

Persistent hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection can cause liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Non-structural protein 3 (NS3), an important part of HCV, has been implicated in the life cycle of the virus and interacts with host cellular proteins. In this study, we investigated the effect of NS3 protein on cell tranformation and related protein alteration in human hepatocyte QSG7701 cells. The results indicated that stable expression of the NS3 protein in QSG7701 cells induced transformed characters with reduced population doubling time, anchorage-independent growth and tumor development. Fifteen differentially-expressed proteins were separated and identified using 2-D electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry. Western blot analysis confirmed that the increase of phospho-p44/42 and phospho-p38 proteins was associated with transformed cells. These results supported the view that HCV NS3 protein plays a transforming role and provided some clues to elucidate the carcinogenesis mechanism of HCV-related hepatocellular carcinoma.