Stage-specific dual function: EZH2 regulates human erythropoiesis by eliciting histone and non-histone methylation.

Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) is the lysine methyltransferase of polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) that catalyzes H3K27 tri-methylation. Aberrant expression and loss-of-function mutations of EZH2 have been demonstrated to be tightly associated with the pathogenesis of various myeloid malignancies characterized by ineffective erythropoiesis, such as myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). However, the function and mechanism of EZH2 in human erythropoiesis still remains largely unknown. Here, we demonstrated that EZH2 regulates human erythropoiesis in a stage-specific, dual-function manner by catalyzing histone and non-histone methylation. During the early erythropoiesis, EZH2 deficiency caused cell cycle arrest in the G1 phase, which impaired cell growth and differentiation. Chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing and RNA sequencing discovered that EZH2 knockdown caused a reduction of H3K27me3 and upregulation of cell cycle proteindependent kinase inhibitors. In contrast, EZH2 deficiency led to the generation of abnormal nuclear cells and impaired enucleation during the terminal erythropoiesis. Interestingly, EZH2 deficiency downregulated the methylation of HSP70 by directly interacting with HSP70. RNA-sequencing analysis revealed that the expression of AURKB was significantly downregulated in response to EZH2 deficiency. Furthermore, treatment with an AURKB inhibitor and small hairpin RNAmediated AURKB knockdown also led to nuclear malformation and decreased enucleation efficiency. These findings strongly suggest that EZH2 regulates terminal erythropoiesis through a HSP70 methylation-AURKB axis. Our findings have implications for improved understanding of ineffective erythropoiesis with EZH2 dysfunction.

Five crucial prognostic-related autophagy genes stratified female breast cancer patients aged 40-60 years.

BACKGROUND: Autophagy is closely related to the progression of breast cancer. The aim at this study is to establish a prognostic-related model comprised of hub autophagy genes (AGs) to assess patient prognosis. Simultaneously, the model can guide clinicians to make up individualized strategies and stratify patients aged 40-60 years based on risk level. METHODS: The hub AGs were identified with univariate COX regression and LASSO regression. The functions and alterations of these selected AGs were analyzed as well. Moreover, the multivariate COX regression and correlation analysis between hub AGs and clinicopathological parameters were done. RESULTS: Totally, 33 prognostic-related AGs were obtained from the univariate COX regression (P < 0.05). SERPINA1, HSPA8, HSPB8, MAP1LC3A, and DIRAS3 were identified to constitute the prognostic model by the LASSO regression. The survival curve of patients in the high-risk and low-risk groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The 3-year and 5-year ROC displayed that their AUC value reached 0.762 and 0.825, respectively. Stage and risk scores were independent risk factors relevant to prognosis. RB1CC1, RPS6KB1, and BIRC6 were identified as the most predominant mutant genes. It was found that AGs were mainly involved in regulating the endopeptidases synthesis and played important roles in the ErbB signal pathway. SERPIN1, risk score was closely related to the stage (P < 0.05); HSPA8, risk score were closely related to T stag (P < 0.05); HSPB8 was closely related to N stag (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our prognostic model had the relatively robust predictive ability on prognosis for patients aged 40-60 years. If the stage was added into the prognostic model, the predictive ability would be more powerful.

Comprehensive dynamic transcriptome analysis at two seed germination stages in maize (Zea mays L.).

Seed germination, as an integral stage of crop production, directly affects Zea mays (maize) yield and grain quality. However, the molecular mechanisms of seed germination remain unclear in maize. We performed comparative transcriptome analysis of two maize inbred lines, Yu82 and Yu537A, at two stages of seed germination. Expression profile analysis during seed germination revealed that a total of 3381 and 4560 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in Yu82 and Yu537A at the two stages. Transcription factors were detected from several families, such as the bZIP, ERF, WRKY, MYB and bHLH families, which indicated that these transcription factor families might be involved in driving seed germination in maize. Prominent DEGs were submitted for KEGG enrichment analysis, which included plant hormones, amino acid mechanism, nutrient reservoir, metabolic pathways and ribosome. Of these pathways, genes associated with plant hormones, especially gibberellins, abscisic acid and auxin may be important for early germination in Yu82. In addition, DEGs involved in amino acid mechanism showed significantly higher expression levels in Yu82 than in Yu537A, which indicated that energy supply from soluble sugars and amino acid metabolism may contribute to early germination in Yu82. This results provide novel insights into transcriptional changes and gene interactions in maize during seed germination.

MicroRNA-34a promotes MICB expression in hepatocytes.

MicroRNA-34a (miR-34a) behaves as a tumor suppressor by decreasing the expression of oncogenes involved in multiple carcinogenic pathways. Intravenous delivery of miR-34a mimics has been investigated in clinical trials as a potential treatment for advanced cancers; however, the effect of miR-34a on cancer immune surveillance is controversial. In the current study, we found that miR-34a plays a dual role in the regulation of major histocompatibility complex class I-related sequence B (MICB) protein, a ligand of the NKG2D receptor. MiR-34a could both induce and reduce MICB expression by upregulating ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related (ATR) protein kinase and downregulating the transcription factor E2F1, respectively. The net effect of miR-34a on MICB expression depended on endogenous E2F1 levels. Overexpression of miR-34a promoted MICB expression in hepatocytes and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells that have low E2F1 levels but not in HCC cells that have high E2F1 levels. In HCC patients, the expression of miR-34a and MICB showed positive correlation in paratumor liver tissues, which have low E2F1 levels, but not in HCC tissues, which have high E2F1 levels. We showed that miR-34a overexpression in non-transformed liver cells enhanced cytolysis and interferon-γ production by NK-92MI cells. Furthermore, higher miR-34a expression in tumor and paratumor tissues was associated with positive and negative outcomes, respectively, in HCC patients. Our findings suggest that miR-34a induces MICB expression in paratumor liver tissues, which may cause liver damage and serious cytokine release syndrome, thus disclosing potential side effects of systemic administration of miR-34a in anticancer therapy.

Dicer regulates non-homologous end joining and is associated with chemosensitivity in colon cancer patients.

DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair is an important mechanism underlying chemotherapy resistance in human cancers. Dicer participates in DSB repair by facilitating homologous recombination. However, whether Dicer is involved in non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) remains unknown. Here, we addressed whether Dicer regulates NHEJ and chemosensitivity in colon cancer cells. Using our recently developed NHEJ assay, we found that DSB introduction by I-SceI cleavage leads to Dicer upregulation. Dicer knockdown increased SIRT7 binding and decreased the level of H3K18Ac (acetylated lysine 18 of histone H3) at DSB sites, thereby repressing the recruitment of NHEJ factors to DSB sites and inhibiting NHEJ. Dicer overexpression reduced SIRT7 binding and increased the level of H3K18Ac at DSB sites, promoting the recruitment of NHEJ factors to DSBs and moderately enhancing NHEJ. Dicer knockdown and overexpression increased and decreased, respectively, the chemosensitivity of colon cancer cells. Dicer protein expression in colon cancer tissues of patients was directly correlated with chemoresistance. Our findings revealed a function of Dicer in NHEJ-mediated DSB repair and the association of Dicer expression with chemoresistance in colon cancer patients.

hPMSCs Regulate the Level of TNF-α and IL-10 in Th1 Cells and Improve Hepatic Injury in a GVHD Mouse Model via CD73/ADO/Fyn/Nrf2 Axis.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) ameliorate graft-versus-host disease (GVHD)-induced tissue damage by exerting immunosuppressive effects. However, the related mechanism remains unclear. Here, we explored the therapeutic effect and mechanism of action of human placental-derived MSCs (hPMSCs) on GVHD-induced mouse liver tissue damage, which shows association with inflammatory responses, fibrosis accompanied by hepatocyte tight junction protein loss, the upregulation of Bax, and the downregulation of Bcl-2. It was observed in GVHD mice and Th1 cell differentiation system that hPMSCs treatment increased IL-10 levels and decreased TNF-α levels in the Th1 subsets via CD73. Moreover, hPMSCs treatment reduced tight junction proteins loss and inhibited hepatocyte apoptosis in the livers of GVHD mice via CD73. ADO level analysis in GVHD mice and the Th1 cell differentiation system showed that hPMSCs could also upregulate ADO levels via CD73. Moreover, hPMSCs enhanced Nrf2 expression and diminished Fyn expression via the CD73/ADO pathway in Th1, TNF-α+, and IL-10+ cells. These results indicated that hPMSCs promoted and inhibited the secretion of IL-10 and TNF-α, respectively, during Th1 cell differentiation through the CD73/ADO/Fyn/Nrf2 axis signaling pathway, thereby alleviating liver tissue injury in GVHD mice.

DNMT1 regulates human erythropoiesis by modulating cell cycle and endoplasmic reticulum stress in a stage-specific manner.

The dynamic balance of DNA methylation and demethylation is required for erythropoiesis. Our previous transcriptomic analyses revealed that DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) is abundantly expressed in erythroid cells at all developmental stages. However, the role and molecular mechanisms of DNMT1 in human erythropoiesis remain unknown. Here we found that DNMT1 deficiency led to cell cycle arrest of erythroid progenitors which was partially rescued by treatment with a p21 inhibitor UC2288. Mechanically, this is due to decreased DNA methylation of p21 promoter, leading to upregulation of p21 expression. In contrast, DNMT1 deficiency led to increased apoptosis during terminal stage by inducing endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in a p21 independent manner. ER stress was attributed to the upregulation of RPL15 expression due to the decreased DNA methylation at RPL15 promoter. The upregulated RPL15 expression subsequently caused a significant upregulation of core ribosomal proteins (RPs) and thus ultimately activated all branches of unfolded protein response (UPR) leading to the excessive ER stress, suggesting a role of DNMT1 in maintaining protein homeostasis during terminal erythroid differentiation. Furthermore, the increased apoptosis was significantly rescued by the treatment of ER stress inhibitor TUDCA. Our findings demonstrate the stage-specific role of DNMT1 in regulating human erythropoiesis and provide new insights into regulation of human erythropoiesis.

Human placental mesenchymal stromal cells modulate IFN-γ and IL-10 secretion by CD4+T cells via CD73, and alleviate intestinal damage in mice with graft-versus-host disease.

BACKGROUND: Intestinal inflammatory damage is an important factor in the development of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). IFN-γ and IL-10 play key roles in gastrointestinal inflammation, and human placental mesenchymal stromal cells (hPMSCs) can alleviate inflammatory damage during GVHD. CD73 is highly expressed by hPMSCs. We aimed to study whether hPMSCs could alleviate intestinal damage in GVHD mice by modulating IFN-γ and IL-10 in CD4+T cells by CD73. METHODS: A GVHD mouse model was induced using 8-week-old C57BL/6J and BALB/c mice, which were treated with regular hPMSCs (hPMSCs) or hPMSCs expressing low level of CD73 (shCD73). Then, the levels of IFN-γ and IL-10 in CD4+T cells were determined using flow cytometry. Transmission electron microscopy, western blotting, and morphological staining were employed to observe the intestinal damage. RESULTS: hPMSCs ameliorated pathological damage and inhibited the reduction of the tight junction molecules occludin and ZO-1. They also downregulated IFN-γ and upregulated IL-10 secretion in CD4+T cells via CD73. Moreover, IL-10 mitigated the inhibitory effects of IFN-γ on the expression of occludin in both Caco-2 and NCM460 cells in vitro, but did not affect ZO-1. In addition, hPMSCs upregulated the level of AMPK phosphorylation in CD4+T cells by CD73, which is positively associated with the proportion of CD4+IFN-γ+IL-10+T, and CD4+IFN-γ-IL-10+T cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggested that hPMSCs may balance the levels of IFN-γ and IL-10 in CD4+T cells by promoting the phosphorylation of AMPK via CD73, which alleviates the loss of occludin and ZO-1 in intestinal epithelial cells and, in turn, reduces inflammatory injury in GVHD mice.

Identification and Validation of Autophagy-Related Genes in Sepsis-Induced Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome and Immune Infiltration.

Purpose: Autophagy-related genes (ARGs) play an important role in the pathophysiology processes of sepsis-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). However, expression profiles of ARGs have rarely been used to explore the relationship between autophagy and sepsis-induced ARDS. Therefore, we aim to identify and validate the potential ARGs of sepsis-induced ARDS through bioinformatics analysis and experiment validation. Methods: We downloaded GSE32707 data from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The potential differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially expressed ARGs (DEARGs) of sepsis-induced ARDS were screened by R software. Then, we performed functional enrichment analyses to explore the potential biological functions of DEARGs and constructed protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks. Subsequently, correlation analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used for the DEARGs. In addition, we estimated the proportions of 22 immune cell subsets by using CIBERSORT algorithm. Finally, RNA expression of seven DEARGs were validated by qRT-PCR in blood samples from sepsis-induced ARDS and healthy controls. Results: We identified 28 DEARGs, including 11 up-regulated genes and 17 down-regulated genes, which were primarily involved in autophagy and apoptosis. Seven genes (BAG3, CTSD, ERBB2, MYC, PEA15, RAB24 and SIRT1) with AUC >0.70 were considered possible to be sepsis-induced ARDS hub genes for ROC curve analysis. CIBERSORT results shown that sepsis-induced ARDS contained a higher proportion of naive CD4+ T cells, gamma delta T cells, monocytes, and neutrophils, and lower levels of CD8+ T cells, memory resting CD4+ T cells, follicular helper T cells were relatively lower. The results of qRT-PCR also demonstrated that the expression levels of BAG3, CTSD, ERBB2, MYC and SIRT1 in sepsis-induced ARDS patients and healthy controls had differences. Conclusion: We identified an association between DEGs and immune infiltration in sepsis-induced ARDS and validated BAG3, CTSD, ERBB2, MYC and SIRT1 that may be have excellent diagnostic performance.

Identification of miRNAs and their target genes associated with improved maize seed vigor induced by gibberellin.

High seed vigor is crucial for agricultural production owing to its potential in high quality and yield of crops and a better understanding of the molecular mechanism associated with maize seed vigor is highly necessary. To better understand the involvement and regulatory mechanism of miRNAs correlated with maize seed vigor, small RNAs and degradome sequencing of two inbred lines Yu537A and Yu82 were performed. A total of 791 mature miRNAs were obtained with different expressions, among of which 505 miRNAs were newly identified and the rest miRNAs have been reported before by comparing the miRNAs with the sequences in miRbase database. Analysis of miRNA families showed maize seeds contain fewer miRNA families and larger miRNA families compared with animals, indicating that functions of miRNAs in maize seeds were more synergistic than animals. Degradome sequencing was used to identify the targets of miRNAs and the results showed a total of 6,196 targets were obtained. Function analysis of differentially expressed miRNAs and targets showed Glycan degradation and galactose metabolism were closely correlated with improved maize seed vigor. These findings provide valuable information to understand the involvement of miRNAs with maize seed vigor and these putative genes will be valuable resources for improving the seed vigor in future maize breeding.

DNA methylation status of DNAJA4 is essential for human erythropoiesis.

Aims: To investigate DNA methylation patterns in early and terminal stages of erythropoiesis, and to explore the function of differentially methylated genes in erythropoiesis and erythroid disorders. Materials & methods: Differential analysis of DNA methylation and gene expression during erythropoiesis, as well as weighted gene coexpression network analysis of acute myeloid leukemia was performed. Results: We identified four candidate genes that possessed differential methylation in the promoter regions. DNAJA4 affected proliferation, apoptosis and enucleation during terminal erythropoiesis and was associated with the prognosis of acute myeloid leukemia. DNAJA4 was specifically highly expressed in erythroleukemia and is associated with DNA methylation. Conclusion: DNAJA4 plays a crucial role for erythropoiesis and is regulated via DNA methylation. Dysregulation of DNAJA4 expression is associated with erythroid disorders.

Protective effect of hydroxysafflor yellow A on renal ischemia­-reperfusion injury by targeting the Akt­Nrf2 axis in mice.

Ischemic/reperfusion (I/R) injury is the primary cause of acute kidney injury (AKI). Hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA), a natural compound isolated from Carthamus tinctorius L., has been found to possess anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. However, the protective effects and potential mechanism of HSYA on I/R-induced AKI remains unclear. In the present study, the in vitro hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) and in vivo renal I/R models were employed to investigate the renal protective effects and molecular mechanisms of HSYA on I/R-induced AKI. The present results indicated that HSYA pretreatment significantly ameliorated renal damage and dysfunction in the I/R injury mice via enhancing the antioxidant capacity and suppressing the oxidative stress injury, inflammatory response, and apoptosis. Mechanistic studies showed that HSYA could upregulate Akt/GSK-3ß/Fyn-Nrf2 axis-mediated antioxidant gene expression both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, HSYA-mediated improvement in antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic effects in H/R-treated HK-2 cells was abrogated by Akt inhibitor LY294002 supplementation. In summary, the present results demonstrated that HSYA attenuated kidney oxidative stress, inflammation response, and apoptosis induced by I/R, at least in part, via activating the Akt/GSK-3ß/Fyn-Nrf2 axis pathway. These findings provided evidence that HSYA may be applied as a potential therapeutic agent in the treatment of I/R induced AKI.

Carbon Dots as a Potential Therapeutic Agent for the Treatment of Cancer-Related Anemia.

Due to the adverse effects of erythropoietin (EPO) on cancer patient survival, it is necessary to develop new agents that can be used to efficiently manage and treat cancer-related anemia. In this study, novel distinctive carbon dots, J-CDs, derived from jujube are designed, synthesized, and characterized. Based on the obtained results, this material comprises sp2 and sp3 carbon atoms, as well as oxygen/nitrogen-based groups, and it specifically promotes the proliferation of erythroid cells by stimulating the self-renewal of erythroid progenitor cells in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, J-CDs have no discernible effects on tumor proliferation and metastasis, unlike EPO. Transcriptome profiling suggests that J-CDs upregulate the molecules involved in hypoxia response, and they also significantly increase the phosphorylation levels of STAT5, the major transducer of signals for erythroid progenitor cell proliferation. Overall, this study demonstrates that J-CDs effectively promote erythrocyte production without affecting tumor proliferation and metastasis; thus, they may be promising agents for the treatment of cancer-related anemia.

hPMSCs inhibit the expression of PD-1 in CD4+IL-10+ T cells and mitigate liver damage in a GVHD mouse model by regulating the crosstalk between Nrf2 and NF-κB signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: The activation of T cells and imbalanced redox metabolism enhances the development of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Human placenta-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (hPMSCs) can improve GVHD through regulating T cell responses. However, whether hPMSCs balance the redox metabolism of CD4+IL-10+ T cells and liver tissue and alleviate GVHD remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effect of hPMSC-mediated treatment of GVHD associated with CD4+IL-10+ T cell generation via control of redox metabolism and PD-1 expression and whether the Nrf2 and NF-κB signaling pathways were both involved in the process. METHODS: A GVHD mouse model was induced using 6-8-week-old C57BL/6 and Balb/c mice, which were treated with hPMSCs. In order to observe whether hPMSCs affect the generation of CD4+IL-10+ T cells via control of redox metabolism and PD-1 expression, a CD4+IL-10+ T cell culture system was induced using human naive CD4+ T cells. The percentage of CD4+IL-10+ T cells and their PD-1 expression levels were determined in vivo and in vitro using flow cytometry, and Nrf2, HO-1, NQO1, GCLC, GCLM, and NF-κB levels were determined by western blotting, qRT-PCR, and immunofluorescence, respectively. Hematoxylin-eosin, Masson's trichrome, and periodic acid-Schiff staining methods were employed to analyze the changes in hepatic tissue. RESULTS: A decreased activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and a proportion of CD4+IL-10+ T cells with increased PD-1 expression were observed in GVHD patients and the mouse model. Treatment with hPMSCs increased SOD activity and GCL and GSH levels in the GVHD mouse model. The percentage of CD4+IL-10+ T cells with decreased PD-1 expression, as well as Nrf2, HO-1, NQO1, GCLC, and GCLM levels, both in the GVHD mouse model and in the process of CD4+IL-10+ T cell generation, were also increased, but NF-κB phosphorylation and nuclear translocation were inhibited after treatment with hPMSCs, which was accompanied by improvement of hepatic histopathological changes. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggested that hPMSC-mediated redox metabolism balance and decreased PD-1 expression in CD4+IL-10+ T cells were achieved by controlling the crosstalk between Nrf2 and NF-κB, which further provided evidence for the application of hPMSC-mediated treatment of GVHD.

hPMSCs-Derived Exosomal miRNA-21 Protects Against Aging-Related Oxidative Damage of CD4+ T Cells by Targeting the PTEN/PI3K-Nrf2 Axis.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)-derived exosomes were considered a novel therapeutic approach in many aging-related diseases. This study aimed to clarify the protective effects of human placenta MSCs-derived exosomes (hPMSC-Exo) in aging-related CD4+ T cell senescence and identified the underlying mechanisms using a D-gal induced mouse aging model. Senescent T cells were detected SA-ß-gal stain. The degree of DNA damage was evaluated by detecting the level of 8-OH-dG. The superoxide dismutase (SOD) and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) activities were measured. The expression of aging-related proteins and senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) were detected by Western blot and RT-PCR. We found that hPMSC-Exo treatment markedly decreased oxidative stress damage (ROS and 8-OH-dG), SA-ß-gal positive cell number, aging-related protein expression (p53 and γ-H2AX), and SASP expression (IL-6 and OPN) in senescent CD4+ T cells. Additionally, hPMSC-Exo containing miR-21 effectively downregulated the expression of PTEN, increased p-PI3K and p-AKT expression, and Nrf2 nuclear translocation and the expression of downstream target genes (NQO1 and HO-1) in senescent CD4+ T cells. Furthermore, in vitro studies uncovered that hPMSC-Exo attenuated CD4+ T cell senescence by improving the PTEN/PI3K-Nrf2 axis by using the PTEN inhibitor bpV (HOpic). We also validated that PTEN was a target of miR-21 by using a luciferase reporter assay. Collectively, the obtained results suggested that hPMSC-Exo attenuates CD4+ T cells senescence via carrying miRNA-21 and activating PTEN/PI3K-Nrf2 axis mediated exogenous antioxidant defenses.

hPMSCs protects against D-galactose-induced oxidative damage of CD4+ T cells through activating Akt-mediated Nrf2 antioxidant signaling.

BACKGROUND: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were considered a regenerative therapeutic approach in both acute and chronic diseases. However, whether MSCs regulate the antioxidant metabolism of CD4+ T cells and weaken immunosenescence remains unclear. Here, we reported the protective effects of hPMSCs in aging-related CD4+ T cell senescence and identified the underlying mechanisms using a D-gal-induced mouse aging model. METHODS: In vivo study, 40 male C57BL/6 mice (8 weeks) were randomly divided into four groups: control group, D-gal group, hPMSC group, and PBS group. In in vitro experiment, human naive CD4+ T (CD4CD45RA) cells were prepared using a naive CD4+ T cell isolation kit II and pretreated with the Akt inhibitor LY294002 and Nrf2 inhibitor ML385. Then, isolated naive CD4+ T cell were co-cultured with hPMSCs for 72 h in the absence or presence of anti-CD3/CD28 Dynabeads and IL-2 as a mitogenic stimulus. Intracellular ROS changes were detected by flow cytometry. The activities of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase were measured by colorimetric analysis. The senescent T cells were detected SA-ß-gal stain. The expression of aging-related proteins was detected by Western blotting, RT-PCR, and confocal microscopy. RESULTS: We found that hPMSC treatment markedly decreased the ROS level, SA-ß-gal-positive cells number, senescence-associated secretory phenotype (IL-6 and OPN) expression, and aging-related protein (P16 and P21) expression in senescent CD4+ T cells. Furthermore, hPMSC treatment effectively upregulated Nrf2 nuclear translocation and the expression of downstream target genes (HO-1, CAT, GCLC, and NQO1) in senescent CD4+ T cells. Moreover, in vitro studies revealed that hPMSCs attenuated CD4+ T cell senescence by upregulating the Akt/GSK-3ß/Fyn pathway to activate Nrf2 functions. Conversely, the antioxidant effects of hPMSCs were blocked by the Akt inhibitor LY294002 and Nrf2 inhibitor ML385 in senescent CD4+ T cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that hPMSCs attenuate D-gal-induced CD4+ T cell senescence by activating Nrf2-mediated antioxidant defenses and that upregulation of Nrf2 by hPMSCs is regulated via the Akt/GSK-3ß/Fyn pathway.

Clinical value of integrated-signature miRNAs in esophageal cancer.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are crucial regulators of gene expression in tumorigenesis and are of great interest to researchers, but miRNA profiles are often inconsistent between studies. The aim of this study was to confirm candidate miRNA biomarkers for esophageal cancer from integrated-miRNA expression profiling data and TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) data in tissues. Here, we identify five significant miRNAs by a comprehensive analysis in esophageal cancer, and two of them (hsa-miR-100-5p and hsa-miR-133b) show better prognoses with significant difference for both 3-year and 5-year survival. Additionally, they participate in esophageal cancer occurrence and development according to KEGG and Panther enrichment analyses. Therefore, these five miRNAs may serve as miRNA biomarkers in esophageal cancer. Analysis of differential expression for target genes of these miRNAs may also provide new therapeutic alternatives in esophageal cancer.

The Fra-1-miR-134-SDS22 feedback loop amplifies ERK/JNK signaling and reduces chemosensitivity in ovarian cancer cells.

The Fra-1 transcription factor is frequently upregulated in multiple types of tumors. Here we found that Fra-1 promotes miR-134 expression. miR-134 activates JNK and ERK by targeting SDS22, which in turn induces Fra-1 expression and leads to miR-134 upregulation. In addition, miR-134 augmented H2AX S139 phosphorylation by activating JNK and promoted non-homologous end joining (NHEJ)-mediated DNA repair. Therefore, ectopic miR-134 expression reduced chemosensitivity in ovarian cancer cells. Furthermore, miR-134 promotes cell proliferation, migration and invasion of ovarian cancer cells, and enhances tumor growth in vivo. Of particular significance, both Fra-1 and miR-134 are upregulated in ovarian cancer tissues, and Fra-1 and miR-134 expression is positively correlated. High levels of miR-134 expression were associated with a reduced median survival of ovarian cancer patients. Our study revealed that a Fra-1-miR-134 axis drives a positive feedback loop that amplifies ERK/JNK signaling and reduces chemosensitivity in ovarian cancer cells.

Carbon quantum dots enhance the photocatalytic performance of BiVO4 with different exposed facets.

Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) were demonstrated to have the ability to enhance the photocatalytic performance of monoclinic BiVO4 with different exposed facets under visible light.

Transition metal-induced self-assembly of small molybdenum clusters.

The first-row transition metals (TMs) are applied to induce the assembly of small molybdenum clusters (SMCs) in the molybdenum/TM/phosphate system, and eight SMC-based compounds are synthesized: [(V(2)O(2))(H(2)PMo(8)V(4)O(40))]·2(en)·12H(2)O (1), [CrMo(6)O(18)(OH)(6)]·1.5(H(2)en)·5H(2)O (2), [MnMo(12)O(24)(OH)(6)(HPO(4))(2)(PO(4))(6)]·7(H(2)en)·6H(2)O (3), {[Co(H(2)O)](2)[CoMo(12)O(24)(OH)(6)(H(2)PO(4))(2)(PO(4))(6)]}·4(H(2)en)·4H(2)O (4), [Ni(5)(H(2)O)(22)(Mo(2)O(4))(8)(HPO(4))(20)(PO(4))(6)]·32H(2)O (5), Cu(2)(en)(4)(Mo(8)O(26)) (6), [Cu(en)(2)Mo(5)O(15)(HPO(4))(2)]·(H(2)en)·2H(2)O (7) and {Zn(2)[Na(H(2)O)(2)][NaMo(12)O(24)(OH)(6)(H(2)PO(4))(6)(PO(4))(2)]}·5(en)·11H(2)O (8) (en = ethylenediamine). Six kinds of SMCs as molecular building blocks have been observed within these eight compounds, namely, Mo(2)V, Mo(4), Mo(5), Mo(6)(1), Mo(6)(2) and Mo(8). In present reaction system, these TMs not only induce the assembly of SMCs, but also regulate the dimensionality of these compounds, ranging from discrete 0D to infinite 1D, 2D and 3D frameworks. Moreover, the electrochemical properties of compounds 1-8 are also investigated.