Whole-genome sequencing reveals a complex African population demographic history and signatures of local adaptation.

We conduct high coverage (>30×) whole-genome sequencing of 180 individuals from 12 indigenous African populations. We identify millions of unreported variants, many predicted to be functionally important. We observe that the ancestors of southern African San and central African rainforest hunter-gatherers (RHG) diverged from other populations >200 kya and maintained a large effective population size. We observe evidence for ancient population structure in Africa and for multiple introgression events from "ghost" populations with highly diverged genetic lineages. Although currently geographically isolated, we observe evidence for gene flow between eastern and southern Khoesan-speaking hunter-gatherer populations lasting until ∼12 kya. We identify signatures of local adaptation for traits related to skin color, immune response, height, and metabolic processes. We identify a positively selected variant in the lightly pigmented San that influences pigmentation in vitro by regulating the enhancer activity and gene expression of PDPK1.

NNT mediates redox-dependent pigmentation via a UVB- and MITF-independent mechanism.

Ultraviolet (UV) light and incompletely understood genetic and epigenetic variations determine skin color. Here we describe an UV- and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF)-independent mechanism of skin pigmentation. Targeting the mitochondrial redox-regulating enzyme nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase (NNT) resulted in cellular redox changes that affect tyrosinase degradation. These changes regulate melanosome maturation and, consequently, eumelanin levels and pigmentation. Topical application of small-molecule inhibitors yielded skin darkening in human skin, and mice with decreased NNT function displayed increased pigmentation. Additionally, genetic modification of NNT in zebrafish alters melanocytic pigmentation. Analysis of four diverse human cohorts revealed significant associations of skin color, tanning, and sun protection use with various single-nucleotide polymorphisms within NNT. NNT levels were independent of UVB irradiation and redox modulation. Individuals with postinflammatory hyperpigmentation or lentigines displayed decreased skin NNT levels, suggesting an NNT-driven, redox-dependent pigmentation mechanism that can be targeted with NNT-modifying topical drugs for medical and cosmetic purposes.

PGG.SV: a whole-genome-sequencing-based structural variant resource and data analysis platform.

Structural variations (SVs) play important roles in human evolution and diseases, but there is a lack of data resources concerning representative samples, especially for East Asians. Taking advantage of both next-generation sequencing and third-generation sequencing data at the whole-genome level, we developed the database PGG.SV to provide a practical platform for both regionally and globally representative structural variants. In its current version, PGG.SV archives 584 277 SVs obtained from whole-genome sequencing data of 6048 samples, including 1030 long-read sequencing genomes representing 177 global populations. PGG.SV provides (i) high-quality SVs with fine-scale and precise genomic locations in both GRCh37 and GRCh38, covering underrepresented SVs in existing sequencing and microarray data; (ii) hierarchical estimation of SV prevalence in geographical populations; (iii) informative annotations of SV-related genes, potential functions and clinical effects; (iv) an analysis platform to facilitate SV-based case-control association studies and (v) various visualization tools for understanding the SV structures in the human genome. Taken together, PGG.SV provides a user-friendly online interface, easy-to-use analysis tools and a detailed presentation of results. PGG.SV is freely accessible via https://www.biosino.org/pggsv.

Unveiling novel genetic variants in 370 challenging medically relevant genes using the long read sequencing data of 41 samples from 19 global populations.

BACKGROUND: A large number of challenging medically relevant genes (CMRGs) are situated in complex or highly repetitive regions of the human genome, hindering comprehensive characterization of genetic variants using next-generation sequencing technologies. In this study, we employed long-read sequencing technology, extensively utilized in studying complex genomic regions, to characterize genetic alterations, including short variants (single nucleotide variants and short insertions and deletions) and copy number variations, in 370 CMRGs across 41 individuals from 19 global populations. RESULTS: Our analysis revealed high levels of genetic variants in CMRGs, with 68.73% exhibiting copy number variations and 65.20% containing short variants that may disrupt protein function across individuals. Such variants can influence pharmacogenomics, genetic disease susceptibility, and other clinical outcomes. We observed significant differences in CMRG variation across populations, with individuals of African ancestry harboring the highest number of copy number variants and short variants compared to samples from other continents. Notably, 15.79% to 33.96% of short variants were exclusively detectable through long-read sequencing. While the T2T-CHM13 reference genome significantly improved the assembly of CMRG regions, thereby facilitating variant detection in these regions, some regions still lacked resolution. CONCLUSION: Our results provide an important reference for future clinical and pharmacogenetic studies, highlighting the need for a comprehensive representation of global genetic diversity in the reference genome and improved variant calling techniques to fully resolve medically relevant genes.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of single-stage vs two-stage revision for periprosthetic joint infection: a call for a prospective randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a severe complication of joint arthroplasty that causes significant pain and economic loss. This study aimed to determine whether the current evidence supports single-stage revision for PJI based on reinfection and reoperation rates. METHODS: We searched the PubMed, EBSCO, Medline, and Cochrane Library databases from inception to 30 May 2023 to identify studies that compared single-stage revision and two-stage revision for PJI. Data on reinfection and reoperation rates were pooled. RESULTS: This meta-analysis included a total of 40 studies with 8711 patients. Overall, there was no significant difference between single- and two-stage revision regarding the postoperative reinfection rate and reoperation rate. Subgroup analysis by surgery period and different surgical sites revealed no difference between the two groups in the reinfection and reoperation rates. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the available evidence, our study did not identify a significant difference in reinfection and reoperation rates between single- and two-stage revision for PJI. Given the limitations in inclusion/exclusion criteria and the observed heterogeneity, we acknowledge the complexity of drawing strong conclusions. Therefore, we suggest that the choice between single- and two-stage revision should be carefully considered on an individual basis, taking into account patient-specific factors and further research developments.

Signatures of Convergent Evolution and Natural Selection at the Alcohol Dehydrogenase Gene Region are Correlated with Agriculture in Ethnically Diverse Africans.

The alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) family of genes encodes enzymes that catalyze the metabolism of ethanol into acetaldehyde. Nucleotide variation in ADH genes can affect the catalytic properties of these enzymes and is associated with a variety of traits, including alcoholism and cancer. Some ADH variants, including the ADH1B*48His (rs1229984) mutation in the ADH1B gene, reduce the risk of alcoholism and are under positive selection in multiple human populations. The advent of Neolithic agriculture and associated increase in fermented foods and beverages is hypothesized to have been a selective force acting on such variants. However, this hypothesis has not been tested in populations outside of Asia. Here, we use genome-wide selection scans to show that the ADH gene region is enriched for variants showing strong signals of positive selection in multiple Afroasiatic-speaking, agriculturalist populations from Ethiopia, and that this signal is unique among sub-Saharan Africans. We also observe strong selection signals at putatively functional variants in nearby lipid metabolism genes, which may influence evolutionary dynamics at the ADH region. Finally, we show that haplotypes carrying these selected variants were introduced into Northeast Africa from a West-Eurasian source within the last ∼2,000 years and experienced positive selection following admixture. These selection signals are not evident in nearby, genetically similar populations that practice hunting/gathering or pastoralist subsistence lifestyles, supporting the hypothesis that the emergence of agriculture shapes patterns of selection at ADH genes. Together, these results enhance our understanding of how adaptations to diverse environments and diets have influenced the African genomic landscape.

Comprehensive evaluation of structural variant genotyping methods based on long-read sequencing data.

BACKGROUND: Structural variants (SVs) play a crucial role in gene regulation, trait association, and disease in humans. SV genotyping has been extensively applied in genomics research and clinical diagnosis. Although a growing number of SV genotyping methods for long reads have been developed, a comprehensive performance assessment of these methods has yet to be done. RESULTS: Based on one simulated and three real SV datasets, we performed an in-depth evaluation of five SV genotyping methods, including cuteSV, LRcaller, Sniffles, SVJedi, and VaPoR. The results show that for insertions and deletions, cuteSV and LRcaller have similar F1 scores (cuteSV, insertions: 0.69-0.90, deletions: 0.77-0.90 and LRcaller, insertions: 0.67-0.87, deletions: 0.74-0.91) and are superior to other methods. For duplications, inversions, and translocations, LRcaller yields the most accurate genotyping results (0.84, 0.68, and 0.47, respectively). When genotyping SVs located in tandem repeat region or with imprecise breakpoints, cuteSV (insertions and deletions) and LRcaller (duplications, inversions, and translocations) are better than other methods. In addition, we observed a decrease in F1 scores when the SV size increased. Finally, our analyses suggest that the F1 scores of these methods reach the point of diminishing returns at 20× depth of coverage. CONCLUSIONS: We present an in-depth benchmark study of long-read SV genotyping methods. Our results highlight the advantages and disadvantages of each genotyping method, which provide practical guidance for optimal application selection and prospective directions for tool improvement.

Prediction Model of Photodegradation for PBAT/PLA Mulch Films: Strategy to Fast Evaluate Service Life.

Eco-friendly biodegradable PBAT/PLA mulch films are attracting increasing interest in sustainable agricultural production. However, currently, little is known about the service life for the PBAT/PLA mulch films. Herein, PBAT/PLA mulch films are subjected to indoor UV-accelerated degradation (UAD) experiments and field cultivation environment degradation (CED) experiments to systematically investigate the relationship between UAD and CED processes. Results demonstrate that 10 days of indoor UAD treatment corresponds to around 120 days aging under outdoor CED conditions. Using eight PBAT/PLA evaluation indicators (haze, elongation at break, tensile strength, gel content, light transmittance, polydispersity index, Mn, Mw), we established a service life prediction model for PBAT/PLA mulch films based on short-term indoor UAD experiments, which could accurately estimate the long-term service life of the mulch films in the field. In particular, using the haze value, near-perfect correlation (R2 = 0.995 for eq. 1 and R2 = 0.993 for eq. 2) was found between CED days and UAD days. The establishment of these reliable predictive models for the service lifetime of PBAT/PLA mulch films will avoid the undesirable premature breakdown during crop growth, thus fostering end-user confidence in eco-friendly biodegradable mulch films.

The seahorse genome and the evolution of its specialized morphology.

Seahorses have a specialized morphology that includes a toothless tubular mouth, a body covered with bony plates, a male brood pouch, and the absence of caudal and pelvic fins. Here we report the sequencing and de novo assembly of the genome of the tiger tail seahorse, Hippocampus comes. Comparative genomic analysis identifies higher protein and nucleotide evolutionary rates in H. comes compared with other teleost fish genomes. We identified an astacin metalloprotease gene family that has undergone expansion and is highly expressed in the male brood pouch. We also find that the H. comes genome lacks enamel matrix protein-coding proline/glutamine-rich secretory calcium-binding phosphoprotein genes, which might have led to the loss of mineralized teeth. tbx4, a regulator of hindlimb development, is also not found in H. comes genome. Knockout of tbx4 in zebrafish showed a 'pelvic fin-loss' phenotype similar to that of seahorses.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 attenuates cardiac hypertrophy via the AngII/AT1R/ACE2 and AMPK/mTOR/p70S6K pathways.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), a novel type of glucose-lowering agent, has been reported to exert cardioprotective effects. However, the cardioprotective mechanism of GLP-1 on spontaneous hypertension-induced cardiac hypertrophy has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we revealed that liraglutide or alogliptin treatment ameliorated spontaneous hypertension-induced cardiac hypertrophy, as evidenced by decreased levels of cardiac hypertrophic markers (atrial natriuretic peptide, brain natriuretic peptide, and ß-myosin heavy chain), as well as systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, and histological changes. Both drugs significantly reduced the levels of angiotensin II (AngII) and AngII type 1 receptor (AT1R) and upregulated the levels of AngII type 2 receptor (AT2R) and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), as indicated by a reduced AT1R/AT2R ratio. Simultaneously, treatment with liraglutide or alogliptin significantly increased GLP-1 receptor expression and adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation and downregulated the phosphorylation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), p70 ribosomal S6 protein kinase, and eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E binding protein 1 in spontaneous hypertension rats. Furthermore, our data demonstrated that the AMPK inhibitor compound C or mTOR activator MHY1485 inhibited the anti-hypertrophic effect of GLP-1. In summary, our study suggests that liraglutide or alogliptin protects the heart against cardiac hypertrophy by regulating the expression of AngII/AT1R/ACE2 and activating the AMPK/mTOR pathway, and GLP-1 agonist can be used in the treatment of patients with cardiac hypertrophy.

Sulforaphane administration alleviates diffuse axonal injury (DAI) via regulation signaling pathway of NRF2 and HO-1.

BACKGROUND: Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) can alleviate diffuse axonal injury (DAI)-induced apoptosis by regulating expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), while sulforaphane (SFN) was shown to reduce oxidative stress by increasing the expression of Nrf2. Therefore, we aimed to investigate therapeutic effect of SFN in the treatment of DAI and the ability of SFN to reduce oxidative stress. METHODS: The 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to observe the effects of H2 O 2 and SFN on cell viability. Fluorometric assay, Western blot analysis, and flow cytometry were conducted to validate the protective role of SFN in an animal model of DAI. In addition, the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were measured in DAI rats treated by SFN, while Western blot, immunohistochemistry assay, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay were carried out to verify the effect of SFN in different animal groups. RESULTS: Cell viability was reduced by H2 O 2 in a dose-dependent manner, while the treatment by SFN significantly promoted cell growth. Meanwhile the administration of SFN effectively reduced the levels of caspase-3/poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) activity increased by the H 2 O 2 treatment, indicating that the protective effect of SFN could be mediated by its ability to suppress caspase-3 activation and PARP cleavage. In addition, the SFN treatment reduced the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation induced by H 2 O 2 . Moreover, the MDA levels of SOD/GPx activity in various rat groups showed the protective effects of SFN in DAI rats. It is suspected that the protective effect of SFN was exerted via the activation of the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway. In this study, DAI and DAI + phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) groups also showed the presence of more TUNEL-positive cells compared with the sham-operated group, while the SFN treatment reduced the extent of neuronal apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: By activating the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway and reducing the activity of caspase-3, SFN reduces the apoptosis of neurons in brain trauma-induced DAI.

A polymorphic residue that attenuates the antiviral potential of interferon lambda 4 in hominid lineages.

As antimicrobial signalling molecules, type III or lambda interferons (IFNλs) are critical for defence against infection by diverse pathogens, including bacteria, fungi and viruses. Counter-intuitively, expression of one member of the family, IFNλ4, is associated with decreased clearance of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the human population; by contrast, a natural frameshift mutation that abrogates IFNλ4 production improves HCV clearance. To further understand how genetic variation between and within species affects IFNλ4 function, we screened a panel of all known extant coding variants of human IFNλ4 for their antiviral potential and identify three that substantially affect activity: P70S, L79F and K154E. The most notable variant was K154E, which was found in African Congo rainforest 'Pygmy' hunter-gatherers. K154E greatly enhanced in vitro activity in a range of antiviral (HCV, Zika virus, influenza virus and encephalomyocarditis virus) and gene expression assays. Remarkably, E154 is the ancestral residue in mammalian IFNλ4s and is extremely well conserved, yet K154 has been fixed throughout evolution of the hominid genus Homo, including Neanderthals. Compared to chimpanzee IFNλ4, the human orthologue had reduced activity due to amino acid K154. Comparison of published gene expression data from humans and chimpanzees showed that this difference in activity between K154 and E154 in IFNλ4 correlates with differences in antiviral gene expression in vivo during HCV infection. Mechanistically, our data show that the human-specific K154 negatively affects IFNλ4 activity through a novel means by reducing its secretion and potency. We thus demonstrate that attenuated activity of IFNλ4 is conserved among humans and postulate that differences in IFNλ4 activity between species contribute to distinct host-specific responses to-and outcomes of-infection, such as HCV infection. The driver of reduced IFNλ4 antiviral activity in humans remains unknown but likely arose between 6 million and 360,000 years ago in Africa.

The genomic substrate for adaptive radiation in African cichlid fish.

Cichlid fishes are famous for large, diverse and replicated adaptive radiations in the Great Lakes of East Africa. To understand the molecular mechanisms underlying cichlid phenotypic diversity, we sequenced the genomes and transcriptomes of five lineages of African cichlids: the Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), an ancestral lineage with low diversity; and four members of the East African lineage: Neolamprologus brichardi/pulcher (older radiation, Lake Tanganyika), Metriaclima zebra (recent radiation, Lake Malawi), Pundamilia nyererei (very recent radiation, Lake Victoria), and Astatotilapia burtoni (riverine species around Lake Tanganyika). We found an excess of gene duplications in the East African lineage compared to tilapia and other teleosts, an abundance of non-coding element divergence, accelerated coding sequence evolution, expression divergence associated with transposable element insertions, and regulation by novel microRNAs. In addition, we analysed sequence data from sixty individuals representing six closely related species from Lake Victoria, and show genome-wide diversifying selection on coding and regulatory variants, some of which were recruited from ancient polymorphisms. We conclude that a number of molecular mechanisms shaped East African cichlid genomes, and that amassing of standing variation during periods of relaxed purifying selection may have been important in facilitating subsequent evolutionary diversification.

Glucagon-like peptide 1 reverses myocardial hypertrophy through cAMP/PKA/RhoA/ROCK2 signaling.

Myocardial hypertrophy is a major pathological and physiological process during heart failure. Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) is a glucagon incretin hormone released from the gut endocrine L-cells that has protective effects on various cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension, atherosclerosis, and myocardial hypertrophy. However, the protective mechanisms of GLP-1 in myocardial hypertrophy remain unclear. Here, we showed that the GLP-1 agonist liraglutide and dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitor alogliptin decreased heart weight and cardiac muscle cell volume in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). In H9C2 cell hypertensive models induced by angiotensin II, GLP-1 treatment reduced myocardial cell volume, inhibited the expressions of atrial natriuretic peptide, brain/B-type natriuretic peptide, ß-myosin heavy chain, RhoA, and ROCK2, and decreased MLC and MYPT1 phosphorylation. When H9C2 cells were treated with H89, a PKA inhibitor, the inhibitory effect of GLP-1 disappeared, while the inhibitory role was enhanced under the treatment of Y-27632, a ROCK2 inhibitor. These results suggested that GLP-1 might reverse myocardial hypertrophy through the PKA/RhoA/ROCK2 signaling pathway.

Micro-RNA-143 inhibits proliferation and promotes apoptosis of thymocytes by targeting CXCL13 in a myasthenia gravis mouse model.

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune neuromuscular disorder, affecting the quality of life of millions of people worldwide. The present study aims to determine the relationship between micro-RNA-143 (miR-143) and C-X-C motif chemokine 13 (CXCL13) and whether it influences the pathogenesis of myasthenia gravis (MG). Thymus specimens were resected from patients with thymic hyperplasia combined with MG and then infused into normal mouse cavities to establish MG mouse models. Immunohistochemistry, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, in situ hybridization detection, and Western blot analysis were employed to identify the expression of miR-143 and CXCL13 in MG and normal mice. The obtained thymocytes were cultured in vitro and transfected with a series of miR-143 mimic, miR-143 inhibitor, overexpression of CXCL13, or siRNA against CXCL13. MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] and flow cytometry assays were employed to assess cell viability, cycle entry, and apoptosis of the thymocytes. Dual-luciferase reporter assay provided verification, confirming that CXCL13 was the target gene of miR-143. Low miR-143 expression in the thymus tissues of the MG mice was detected, which presented with a reciprocal relationship with the expression rate of CLCX13. Observations in relation to the interactions between miR-143 mimic or siRNA-CXCL13 exposure showed reduced cell viability, with a greater number of cells arrested at the G0/G1 phase and a greater rate of induced apoptosis. Furthermore, overexpression of CXCL13 rescued miR-143 mimic-induced apoptosis. The findings have identified the potential role of miR-143 as a MG development mediator by targeting CXCL13. The key results obtained provide a promising experimental basis for targeted intervention treatment with miR-143.

High expression of LASS2 is associated with unfavorable prognosis in patients with ovarian cancer.

Homo sapiens longevity assurance homolog 2 of yeast LAG1 (LASS2), is a gene isolated from a human liver complementary DNA library. In this study, we found that LASS2 protein level was positively related to International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage and LASS2-negative tumors showed significant association with longer disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in ovarian cancer patients. The heterogeneous expression of LASS2 had been exhibited in diverse ovarian cancer cells. A significantly lower messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein level of LASS2 was seen in 3AO cell compared with those in other types of ovarian cancer cells. Meanwhile, the mRNA and protein levels of LASS2 in ES-2 and NIH:OVCAR-3 cells were obviously higher. LASS2 overexpression in 3AO cell could promote migration, invasion, and metastasis abilities in vitro and in vivo, while LASS2 knockdown in ES-2 and NIH:OVCAR-3 cells had the opposite effects. The oncogenic capacity of LASS2 in ovarian cancer may be mediated by increased expression of YAP/TAZ. It is indicated that lowering the expression of LASS2 is likely to serve as an unprecedented approach for the treatment of ovarian cancer.

Low expression of CRISP3 predicts a favorable prognosis in patients with mammary carcinoma.

The discovery of cysteine-rich secretory protein 3 (CRISP3) has been made in human neutrophils for the first time. Cloning of the complementary DNA (cDNA) for CRISP3 was performed from a cDNA library of human bone marrow. In patients with mammary carcinoma, we found that lower expression of CRISP3 was connected to a significantly improved DFS (disease-free survival) and OS (overall survival). Furthermore, the CRISP3 protein level was significantly associated with negative ANXA1 protein level. In addition, the heterogeneous expression of CRISP3 had been exhibited in diverse mammary carcinoma cells. A significant higher mRNA and the protein level of CRISP3 were seen in T-47D as well as SK-BR-3 cells compared with those in other types of mammary carcinoma cells. Knockdown of CRISP3 in T-47D or SK-BR-3 cells resulted in the weakened migration or invasion abilities. Furthermore, CRISP3 knockdown significantly inhibited the ERK1/2 MAPK signaling pathway in T-47D or SK-BR-3 cells. Research results indicated that the lowering in the expression of CRISP3 is likely to serve as an unprecedented approach for the treatment of mammary carcinoma.

Long noncoding RNA nuclear enriched abundant transcript 1 impacts cell proliferation, invasion, and migration of glioma through regulating miR-139-5p/ CDK6.

AIMS: We aimed to explore the impact of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) nuclear enriched abundant transcript 1 (NEAT1) on cell proliferation, invasion, and migration of glioma. METHODS: Differentially expressed genes were screened out from Gene Expression Omnibus data set based on the microarray analysis. The expression levels of lncRNA NEAT1, miR-139-5p, and CDK6 in glioma cells and tissues were examined by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, and the protein level of CDK6 in glioma cells was determined by western blot and immunohistochemistry. Glioma cell viability, cell cycle, and apoptosis were detected by 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazoliumbromide (MTT) and flow cytometry, respectively, whereas cell invasion and migration were analyzed by transwell assay. The target relationships among NEAT1, miR-139-5p, and CDK6 were confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. The effects of lncRNA NEAT1 on tumor growth were further testified through glioma xenografts in nude mice. RESULTS: LncRNA NEAT1 and CDK6 were highly expressed in glioma tissues and cells, whereas miR-139-5p was lowly expressed. There were target relationships and correlations on expressions between miR-139-5p and NEAT1/ CDK6. NEAT1 and CDK6 could promote cell proliferation and metastasis of glioma cells and impeded cell apoptosis, whereas miR-139-5p exerted suppressive effects on the biological functions of glioma cells. NEAT1 regulated CDK6 to affect glioma growth through sponging miR-139-5p. CONCLUSIONS: LncRNA NEAT1 promotes cell proliferation, invasion, and migration of glioma through regulating miR-139-5p/CDK6 pathway.

Purple sweet potato color attenuated NLRP3 inflammasome by inducing autophagy to delay endothelial senescence.

Autophagy is a vital negative factor regulating cellular senescence. Purple sweet potato color (PSPC), one type of flavonoid, has been demonstrated to suppress endothelial senescence and restore endothelial function in diabetic mice by inhibiting the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain, leucine rich repeat and pyrin domain containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome. However, the roles of autophagy in the inflammatory response during endothelial senescence are unknown. Here, we found that PSPC augmented autophagy to restrict high-glucose-induced premature endothelial senescence. In addition, PSPC administration impaired endothelium aging in diabetic mice by increasing autophagy. Inhibition of autophagy accelerated endothelial senescence, while enhancement of autophagy delayed senescence. Moreover, deactivation of the NLRP3 inflammasome triggered by PSPC was autophagy-dependent. Autophagy receptor microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 and p62 interacted with the inflammasome component NLRP3, suggesting that autophagosomes target the NLRP3 inflammasome and deliver it to the lysosome for degradation. Altogether, PSPC amplified cellular autophagy, subsequently attenuated NLRP3 inflammasome activity and finally delayed endothelial senescence to ameliorate cardiovascular complication. These results suggest a potential therapeutic target in senescence-related cardiovascular diseases.

Suppression of microRNA-342-3p increases glutamate transporters and prevents dopaminergic neuron loss through activating the Wnt signaling pathway via p21-activated kinase 1 in mice with Parkinson's disease.

Development of effective therapeutic drugs for Parkinson's disease (PD) is of great importance. Aberrant microRNA (miRNA) expression has been identified in postmortem human PD brain samples, in vitro and in vivo PD models. However, the role of miR-342-3p in PD has been understudied. The study explores the effects of miR-342-3p on expression of glutamate (Glu) transporter, and dopaminergic neuron apoptosis and proliferation by targeting p21-activated kinase 1 (PAK1) through the Wnt signaling pathway in PD mice. After establishment of PD mouse models, gain- or loss-of-function assay was performed to explore the functional role of miR-342-3p in PD. Number of apoptotic neurons and Glu concentration was then determined. Subsequently, PC12 cells were treated with miR-342-3p mimic, miR-342-3p inhibitor, dickkopf-1 (DKK1), and miR-342-3p inhibitor + DKK1. The expression of miR-342-3p, PAK1, the Wnt signaling pathway-related and apoptosis-related genes, Glutamate transporter subtype 1 (GLT-1), l-glutamate/ l-aspartate transporter (GLAST), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) was measured. Also, cell viability and apoptosis were evaluated. PD mice exhibited increased miR-342-3p, while decreased expression of PAK1, GLT-1, GLAST, TH, and the Wnt signaling pathway-related and antiapoptosis genes. miR-342-3p downregulation could promote expression of PAK1, the Wnt signaling pathway-related and antiapoptosis genes. GLT-1, GLAST, and TH as well as cell viability, but reduce cell apoptosis rate. The results indicated that suppression of miR-342-3p improves expression of Glu transporter and promotes dopaminergic neuron proliferation while suppressing apoptosis through the Wnt signaling pathway by targeting PAK1 in mice with PD.