Sanggenon O induced apoptosis of A549 cells is counterbalanced by protective autophagy.

Sanggenon O (SO) is a Diels-Alder type adduct extracted fromMorus alba, which has been used for its anti-inflammatory action in the Oriental medicine. However, whether it has regulatory effect on human cancer cell proliferation and what the underlying mechanism remains unknown. Here, we found that SO could significantly inhibit the growth and proliferation of A549 cells and induce its pro-apoptotic action through a caspase-dependent pathway. It could also impair the mitochondria which can be reflected by mitochondrial membrane permeabilization. Besides, SQSTM1 up-regulation and autophagic flux measurement demonstrated that exposure to SO led to autophagosome accumulation, which plays a protective role in SO-treated cells. In addition, knocking down of LC3B increased SO triggered apoptotic cell rates. These results indicated that SO has great potential as a promising candidate combined with autophagy inhibitor for the treatment of NSCLC. In conclusion, our results identified a novel mechanism by which SO exerts potent anticancer activity.

Rapid decolorization of methyl orange by a novel Aeromonas sp. strain DH-6.

Azo dyes are extensively used, but are recalcitrant and refractory. In this study, an indigenous strain DH-6 was isolated and identified as Aeromonas sp. based on 16S rDNA analysis for its excellent methyl orange (MO) decolorizing capability. Plackett-Burman design and response surface methodology (RSM) were employed to investigate the effect of operational parameters on decolorization and to optimize the decolorization process. Based on the results the concentrations of glucose, Na2HPO4 and MO and temperature were selected as the four significant parameters of RSM. The optimal conditions for MO decolorization by the strain were as follows: 3.0 g/L glucose, 4.9 g/L Na2HPO4, 100 mg/L MO, and at 40 °C. The verification tests showed that 95.5% decolorization was observed after incubation for 2 h, which is within the confidence interval. Under the optimal conditions, the kinetics of the decolorization fitted the first-order model well (R(2) = 0.969). As the strain DH-6 still showed a good decolorizing capability at a relatively high temperature, it is considered a candidate for azo dye bioremediation in some tropical or subtropical regions.

ATRA promotes PD-L1 expression to control gastric cancer immune surveillance.

The vitamin A metabolite all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) plays a key role in immune response, but effects of ATRA on cancer-associated immunity remains unclear. Previously, we have shown that ATRA regulates the expression of PD-L1 in gastric cancer (GC) cells. We herein reported the mechanism underlying ATRA-induced PD-L1 expression in GC cells and the effects of ATRA on cancer-associated immunosuppression in vitro and in vivo. ATRA enhanced PD-L1 expression through increasing its protein stability and protein synthesis, which was suppressed by JAK pan-inhibitor ruxolitinib (RUX) but enhanced in the combination with IFN-γ. In T-cell-mediated killing assay, the upregulation of PD-L1-induced by ATRA rendered GC cells strongly resistant to activated T-cell killing, which was reversed by RUX. In vivo, PD-L1 antibody restricted tumor growth, but ATRA antagonized PD-L1 antibody efficacy. Importantly, RUX not only inhibited the expression of PD-L1 induced by ATRA, but also resensitized GC cells to PD-L1 antibody. In conclusion, our study illustrated that ATRA attenuated the effect of PD-L1 blockade through upregulating PD-L1 and blocking PD-L1 expression is an important role for the generation of effective anti-tumor immune response in the combination of immunotherapy and chemotherapy or targeted therapy.

Biodegradation of malachite green by Pseudomonas sp. strain DY1 under aerobic condition: characteristics, degradation products, enzyme analysis and phytotoxicity.

Malachite green (MG), a widely-used and recalcitrant dye, has been confirmed to be carcinogenic and mutagenic against many organisms. The main objective of this study is to investigate the capability of Pseudomonas sp. strain DY1 to decolorize MG, and to explore the possible mechanism. The results showed that this strain demonstrated high decolorizing capability (90.3-97.2%) at high concentrations of MG (100-1,000 mg/l) under shaking condition within 24 h. In static conditions, lower but still effective decolorization (78.9-84.3%) was achieved. The optimal pH and temperature for the decolorization was pH 6.6 and 28-30°C, respectively. Mg(2+) and Mn(2+) (1 mM) were observed to significantly enhance the decolorization. The intermediates of the MG degradation under aerobic condition identified by UV-visible, GC-MS and LC-MS analysis included malachite green carbinol, (dimethyl amino-phenyl)-phenyl-methanone, N,N-dimethylaniline, (methyl amino-phenyl)-phenyl-methanone, (amino phenyl)-phenyl methanone and di-benzyl methane. The enzyme analysis indicated that Mn-peroxidase, NADH-DCIP and MG reductase were involved in the biodegradation of MG. Moreover, phytotoxicity of MG and detoxification for MG by the strain were observed. Therefore, this strain could be potentially used for bioremediation of MG.

Ecofriendly decolorisation of Cr-complex dye Acid Black 172 by a newly isolated Pseudomonas sp. strain DY1.

Pseudomonas sp. strain DY1 was newly isolated from soil with rotten wood and identified as a member of the genus Pseudomonas based on 16S rDNA and biochemical tests. Acid Black 172, a water soluble Cr-complex dye, was then selected as a model dye to investigate the decolorisation ability of the strain. It was observed that the growth of the strain was not inhibited by high dose of metal ions (10 mM), and efficient decolorisation was still observed when high concentrations of Fe(2+), Fe(3+) and Ca(2+) existed. The optimal decolorising conditions obtained from Taguchi design were as follows: temperature 37˚C, pH 7.0, Fe(3+) and proline concentrations of 7 mM and 3.0 g/L, respectively. Under the optimal conditions, 94.5% of Acid Black 172 (100 mg/L) could be decolorised by the strain in 24 h. The kinetics of the decolorisation best fitted the first order kinetic model (R(2)=0.981). Besides, the phytotoxicity study demonstrated a good detoxification by the strain. This work has a certain practical value in microbial decolorisation of textile wastewater.

Expression of programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) is associated with metastasis and differentiation in gastric cancer.

AIMS: Programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1, CD274) has been reported to be expressed abnormally in many cancers, nevertheless, effect of PD-L1 on tumor cells remains unclear, especially in gastric cancer (GC). This study aimed to investigate the role of PD-L1 in metastasis and differentiation in GC. MAIN METHODS: Immunohistochemistry was performed on 237 paired GC tissues. shPD-L1 cells were generated by lentivirus shRNA solution and PD-L1-overexpressing cells were constructed by pcDNA3.1. Expression of PD-L1 and E-cadherin in GC cells were detected by western blot. KEY FINDINGS: PD-L1 expression was significantly lower in GC than that in adjacent normal tissues, especially in poorly differentiated and metastatic GC, but was positively correlated to survival time of patients. Moreover, PD-L1 ablation could decrease E-cadherin expression, promote cell migration and wound repair ability. In turn, overexpression of PD-L1 increased E-cadherin expression and inhibited wound repair ability. At the same time, All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), which has the properties of pro-differentiation and inhibition of invasion and metastasis, upregulated the expression of PD-L1 and E-cadherin. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings not only identify PD-L1 may have a positive role for the treatment of GC, but also implicate that ATRA combined PD-L1 antibody drugs may enhance anti-tumor Immunity in GC.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Diqing wild boar (Sus verrucosus breed Diqing wild boar).

In the present study, the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of the diqing wild boar (Sus verrucosus breed diqing wild boar) was reported for the first time. The total length of the mitogenome was 16,506 bp. It contained the typical structure, including two ribosomal RNA genes, 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes and one non-coding control region (D-loop region) as that of most other wild boars. The overall composition of the mitogenome was estimated to be 34.9% for A, 26.1% for T, 26.0% for C and 13.0% for G showing an A-T (61.0%)-rich feature. The mitochondrial genome analyzed here will provide new genetic resource to uncover wild boars' genetic diversity.

Biodegradation of methyl red by Bacillus sp. strain UN2: decolorization capacity, metabolites characterization, and enzyme analysis.

Azo dyes are recalcitrant and refractory pollutants that constitute a significant menace to the environment. The present study is focused on exploring the capability of Bacillus sp. strain UN2 for application in methyl red (MR) degradation. Effects of physicochemical parameters (pH of medium, temperature, initial concentration of dye, and composition of the medium) were studied in detail. The suitable pH and temperature range for MR degradation by strain UN2 were respectively 7.0-9.0 and 30-40 °C, and the optimal pH value and temperature were respectively 8.0 and 35 °C. Mg(2+) and Mn(2+) (1 mM) were found to significantly accelerate the MR removal rate, while the enhancement by either Fe(3+) or Fe(2+) was slight. Under the optimal degradation conditions, strain UN2 exhibited greater than 98 % degradation of the toxic azo dye MR (100 ppm) within 30 min. Analysis of samples from decolorized culture flasks confirmed biodegradation of MR into two prime metabolites: N,N'dimethyl-p-phenyle-nediamine and 2-aminobenzoic acid. A study of the enzymes responsible for the biodegradation of MR, in the control and cells obtained during (10 min) and after (30 min) degradation, showed a significant increase in the activities of azoreductase, laccase, and NADH-DCIP reductase. Furthermore, a phytotoxicity analysis demonstrated that the germination inhibition was almost eliminated for both the plants Triticum aestivum and Sorghum bicolor by MR metabolites at 100 mg/L concentration, yet the germination inhibition of parent dye was significant. Consequently, the high efficiency of MR degradation enables this strain to be a potential candidate for bioremediation of wastewater containing MR.

Biosorption of the metal-complex dye Acid Black 172 by live and heat-treated biomass of Pseudomonas sp. strain DY1: kinetics and sorption mechanisms.

The ability of Pseudomonas sp. strain DY1 to adsorb Acid Black 172 was studied to determine the kinetics and mechanisms involved in biosorption of the dye. Kinetic data for adsorption fit a pseudo-second-order model. Increased initial dye concentration could significantly enhance the amount of dye adsorbed by heat-treated biomass in which the maximum amount of dye adsorbed was as high as 2.98 mmol/g biomass, whereas it had no significant influence on dye sorption by live biomass. As treated temperature increased, the biomass showed gradual increase of dye sorption ability. Experiments using potentiometric titration and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) indicated that amine groups (NH2) played a prominent role in biosorption of Acid Black 172. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis indicated that heat treatment of the biomass increased the permeability of the cell walls and denatured the intracellular proteins. The results of biosorption experiments by different cell components confirmed that intracellular proteins contributed to the increased biosorption of Acid Black 172 by heat-treated biomass. The data suggest that biomass produced by this strain may have application for removal of metal-complex dyes from wastewater streams generated from the dye products industry.

Highly efficient decolorization of Malachite Green by a novel Micrococcus sp. strain BD15.

PURPOSE: Malachite Green (MG) is used for a variety of applications but is also known to be carcinogenic and mutagenic. In this study, a novel Micrococcus sp. (strain BD15) was observed to efficiently decolorize MG. The purposes of this study were to explore the optimal conditions for decolorization and to evaluate the potential use of this strain for MG decolorization. METHODS: Optical microscope and UV-visible analyses were carried out to determine whether the decolorization was due to biosorption or biodegradation. A Plackett-Burman design was employed to investigate the effect of various parameters on decolorization, and response surface methodology was then used to explore the optimal decolorization conditions. Kinetics analysis and antimicrobial activity tests were also performed. RESULTS: The results indicated that the decolorization by the strain was mainly due to biodegradation. Concentrations of MG, urea, and yeast extract and inoculum size had significantly positive effects on MG decolorization, while concentrations of CuCl(2) and MgCl(2), and temperature had significantly negative effects. The interaction between different parameters could significantly affect decolorization, and the optimal conditions for decolorization were 1.0 g/L urea, 0.9 g/L yeast extract, 100 mg/L MG, 0.1 g/L inoculums (dry weight), and incubation at 25.2°C. Under the optimal conditions, 96.9% of MG was removed by the strain within 1 h, which represents highly efficient microbial decolorization. Moreover, the kinetic data for decolorization fit a second-order model well, and the strain showed a good MG detoxification capability. CONCLUSION: Based on the results of this study, we propose Micrococcus sp. strain BD15 as an excellent candidate strain for MG removal from wastewater.