Cryoprotective effect of epigallocatechin gallate replacing sucrose on Hypophythalmichthys molitrix surimi during frozen storage.

BACKGROUND: The present study aimed to investigate the cryoprotective effect of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) replacing sucrose on surimi during frozen storage. Substitution or partial substitution of 0.1% EGCG for sucrose (1.5%) was added to surimi, and the surimi samples without and with commercial cryoprotectants (4% sucrose and 4% sorbitol) were used as the control group. RESULTS: The results obtained suggest that, with the increase in frozen storage time, the structural performance of surimi protein gradually weakened (e.g. the decrease in the surface hydrophobicity, the increase in the total sulfhydryl and solubility, and the protein myosin heavy chain bands became shallow) and surimi gel quality gradually deteriorated (e.g. the decrease in water-holding capacity, gel strength and all texture profile attributes). However, compared with the other three group surimi samples during the frozen period, the surimi proteins with partial replacement of sucrose by EGCG had a higher total sulfhydryl group content and solubility of proteins, as well as lower surface hydrophobicity of protein, suggesting that the addition of EGCG as a partial substitute for sucrose can enhance the antifreeze ability of surimi. Meanwhile, the surimi gel with the partial replacement of sucrose by EGCG had a higher water retention capacity, gel strength and texture attributes (e.g. hardness, springiness, cohesiveness, chewiness, and resilience), indicating that the addition of EGCG as a partial substitute for sucrose can inhibit the deterioration of surimi gel quality. CONCLUSION: Overall, EGCG partially replacing sucrose can play an alternative cryoprotectant with a lower sweetness to prevent the quality of surimi from deteriorating. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Proteomic profiling identifies novel diagnostic biomarkers and molecular subtypes for mucinous tubular and spindle cell carcinoma of the kidney.

Mucinous tubular and spindle cell carcinoma (MTSCC) is a relatively rare renal epithelial neoplasm resembling type 1 papillary renal cell carcinoma (PRCC) morphologically and immunohistochemically. The accurate diagnosis of MTSCC remains a challenge. Here, by using proteomic profiling, we characterized MTSCC and PRCC to identify diagnostic biomarkers. We found that the MTSCC tumor proteome was significantly enriched in B-cell-mediated immunity when compared with the proteome of adjacent normal tissues of MTSCC or tumors of PRCC. Importantly, we identified MZB1, VCAN, and SOSTDC1 as diagnostic biomarkers to distinguish MTSCC from the solid variant of type 1 PRCC, with an AUC of 0.985 when combined. MZB1 was inversely correlated with tumor clinical stage and may play an anti-tumor role by activating the complement system. Finally, unsupervised clustering revealed two molecular subtypes of MTSCC, displaying different morphology, expression signatures of oxidative phosphorylation, and aggravation. In summary, our analyses identified a three-protein diagnostic panel and molecular subtypes for MTSCC. © 2022 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.

Periostin drives extracellular matrix degradation, stemness, and chemoresistance by activating the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway in triple-negative breast cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: Adipose tissue, which is mainly composed of adipocytes, is a crucial component of the tumor microenvironment, particularly in breast cancer. Adipocytes surround breast cancer cells and may participate in cell‒cell interactions in the breast microenvironment. However, little is currently known about how adipocytes influence the biological behavior of the surrounding breast cancer cells. Hence, this study sought to investigate the role and underlying mechanisms of periostin in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells cocultured with adipogenic conditioned medium (ACM) and palmitic acid (PA). METHODS: Human TNBC cell lines (MDA‒MB‒231 and SUM159PT) were treated with ACM and PA, then the expression of periostin, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and stemness-related molecules were assessed by Western blotting and RT‒qPCR. The cellular viability was assessed using CCK‒8 assay. Plasmid transfection, RNA sequencing, and pathway inhibitor were used to explore the specific mechanisms of periostin. RESULTS: ACM and PA elevated the expression of both MMPs and stemness-related molecules in TNBCs. MMPs can promote tumor cell infiltration and migration by degrading the extracellular matrix, and stemness expression increases the development of tumor chemoresistance. Additionally, ACM and PA increased periostin expression, while inhibiting periostin disrupted the involvement of ACM and PA in promoting extracellular matrix degradation, stemness, and chemoresistance in TNBCs. Furthermore, this study found that periostin promoted TNBC progression by activating the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway and that inhibition of MAPK/ERK signaling reduced the phenotype caused by periostin upregulation in TNBCs treated with ACM or PA. Finally, the present results showed that the high expression of POSTN, which encodes periostin, was substantially related to worse survival in TNBC patients. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the study elucidated for the first time how periostin is the key protein secreted in TNBCs in response to the adipocyte-regulated tumor microenvironment, while periostin-neutralizing antibodies may serve as potential therapeutic agents in relation to TNBC progression.

Implementation of field-programmable Gate array-based clock synchronization in the fiber channel communication system.

A sub-nanosecond clock synchronization scheme based on the field programmable gate array (FPGA) is proposed for the Fiber Channel (FC) communication system in this paper. The counter value of the slave node is synchronized to that of the master node through the embedded IEEE 1588 protocol over the communication link. In order to ensure the counter clocks have the same frequency in both nodes, which is recovered from the FC communication link, the clock phase difference is measured by the digital dual mixer time difference technique and the data recovery technique in the Gigabyte Transceiver, and then it is compensated by the mixed-mode clock manager in FPGAs. The proposed clock synchronization approach is evaluated with an FC communication system that has a serial rate of 12.5 Gbps, and the reported experimental results show that the proposed clock synchronization module can achieve a time difference lower than 1 ns.

Effect of Lactobacillus plantarum and flavourzyme on protein degradation and flavor development in grass carp during fermentation.

This study examined the effect of Flavourzyme and Lactobacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) on protein degradation and flavor development during grass carp fermentation. The control groups comprised natural fermentation and fermentation with L. plantarum. Compared with the two control samples, those exposed to combined Flavourzyme and L. plantarum fermentation exhibited lower moisture content and enhanced protein hydrolysis, which accelerated the production of water-soluble taste substances (trichloroacetic acid-soluble peptides and free amino acids). The electronic tongue and electronic nose results indicated that the grass carp subjected to combined fermentation way displayed a more intense umami taste and aroma. Moreover, the sensory evaluation results confirmed that the combined fermentation method significantly improved the taste and odor attributes of fermented grass carp. In conclusion, combined fermentation with Flavourzyme and L. plantarum may effectively reduce fermentation time and enhance the flavor of fermented grass carp products.

Unraveling the microbial succession during the natural fermentation of grass carp and their correlation with volatile flavor formation.

Complex microbial communities contribute significantly to the flavor formation of traditional fermented fish products. However, the relationship between microorganisms and flavor formation in traditional fermented grass carp products is still unclear. In this study, the diversity and succession of microbial communities and the variation of volatile compounds during natural fermentation of grass carp were analyzed using high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA and headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS), respectively. The core functional microorganism and key volatile compounds were identified, and their potential relationship was revealed using a correlation network model analysis. The microbial community analysis result showed that the microbial diversity during natural fermentation of grass carp decreased markedly with increasing fermentation time, and Lactiplantibacillus, Staphylococcus, and Enterobacter were the dominant genera in naturally fermented grass carp. HS-SPME-GC-MS analysis result showed that 45 volatile compounds were identified from fermented samples, among which 13 compounds (e.g., hexanal, heptanal, nonanal, decanal, 3-octanone, 3-methyl-1-butanol, 1-hexanol, 1-heptanol, 1-octen-3-ol, 1-octanol, ethyl acetate, 3-methyl-1-butanol acetate, and 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol) were identified as the key volatile compounds. Additionally, the correlation network model analysis result revealed that Lactiplantibacillus showed significantly positive correlations with most of the key volatile compounds, making an important contribution to the formation of volatile flavor in naturally fermented grass carp. This study may lead to an understanding of the role of core functional microorganisms in the formation of volatile flavor during the natural fermentation of grass carp and provide some theoretical guidance for the industrial production of high-quality fermented grass carp products.

Elevated serum levels of human epididymis protein 4 in adult patients with proliferative lupus nephritis.

Background: This study aimed to access whether serum human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) level could identify lupus nephritis (LN) pathological classes in adults and children. Methods: The serum HE4 levels of 190 healthy subjects and 182 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (61 adult-onset LN [aLN], 39 childhood-onset LN [cLN], and 82 SLE without LN) were determined using Architect HE4 kits and an Abbott ARCHITECT i2000SR Immunoassay Analyzer. Results: Serum HE4 level was significantly higher in the aLN patients (median, 85.5 pmol/L) than in the patients with cLN (44 pmol/L, P < 0.001) or SLE without LN (37 pmol/L, P < 0.001), or the healthy controls (30 pmol/L, P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that serum HE4 level was independently associated with aLN. Stratified by LN class, serum HE4 level was significantly higher in the patients with proliferative LN (PLN) than in those with non-PLN, and this difference was found only in aLN (median, 98.3 versus 49.3 pmol/L, P = 0.021) but not in cLN. Stratified by activity (A) and chronicity (C) indices, the aLN patients with class IV (A/C) possessed significantly higher serum HE4 levels than those with class IV (A) (median, 195.5 versus 60.8 pmol/L, P = 0.006), and this difference was not seen in the class III aLN or cLN patients. Conclusion: Serum HE4 level is elevated in patients with class IV (A/C) aLN. The role of HE4 in the pathogenesis of chronic lesions of class IV aLN needs further investigation.

Proteomic analysis identifies HMGA2 as a novel biomarker of overall survival in papillary renal cell carcinoma.

PURPOSE: Although papillary renal cell carcinoma (PRCC) has a relatively favorable prognosis, a small number of patients with lymph node or distant metastasis have a poor prognosis. Owing to the complex typing and heterogeneity of PRCC, it remains difficult to provide risk stratification. The objective of our research was to identify potential markers of PRCC prognosis. METHODS: We performed proteomics and bioinformatics analyses on six pairs of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor and paired normal tissue samples. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data were used to analyze the prognostic value of differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in PRCC. We verified the expression of the major biomarker through immunohistochemistry (IHC) in 91 PRCC tumor specimens. RESULTS: Proteomic analysis revealed 1544 DEPs between tumor and paired normal tissues. PRCC transcriptomic data from the TCGA database revealed that compared to non-tumor tissues, the expression of high-mobility group protein A2 (HMGA2) was upregulated in tumor tissues, and patients with high HMGA2 expression exhibited shorter overall survival times. HMGA2 was associated with PRCC tissue subtype and higher cell pleomorphism. Both TCGA and IHC results showed that HMGA2 expression was associated with lymph node metastasis and clinical stage. CONCLUSION: HMGA2 was positively correlated with malignant progression and could be a valuable novel prognostic biomarker for PRCC risk stratification.

Effects of flavourzyme addition on protein degradation and flavor formation in grass carp during fermentation.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of flavourzyme addition on protein degradation and flavor formation in grass carp during fermentation. The related results showed that the addition of flavourzyme reduced the moisture content and accelerated the hydrolysis of protein and generation of water-soluble flavor substances (e.g., TCA-soluble peptides, α-amino nitrogen, and free amino acids), thereby contributing to fermented grass carp products with a better taste quality. Besides, radar map results of electronic tongue and electronic nose showed that flavourzyme addition gives fermented products a more intense umami taste and odor. Meanwhile, sensory evaluation results also further confirmed that the addition of flavourzyme significantly improved the sensory attributes of fermented grass carp products, especially the taste and odor attributes. Overall, flavourzyme addition may be an effective way to shorten fermentation time and improve the flavor quality of fermented grass carp products during fermentation. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: In this study, to study the effects of flavourzyme addition on protein degradation and flavor formation in grass carp during fermentation, the related indicators include the moisture content, total nitrogen, non-protein nitrogen, protein degradation index, TCA-soluble peptides, α-amino nitrogen, free amino acids, electronic tongue, electronic nose, and sensory attributes were analyzed. This study may provide some useful information for the improvement of fermentation methods and the production of high-quality fermented grass carp products.

Effect of Lactobacillus plantarum and flavourzyme on physicochemical and safety properties of grass carp during fermentation.

The present study aimed to investigate the change in physicochemical and safety properties of grass carp during fermentation with flavourzyme and Lactobacillus plantarum (FLF). The natural fermentation (NF) and fermentation with Lactobacillus plantarum (LF) samples were used as control. The results showed that with increasing fermentation time, the pH and water activity (Aw) in each fermented grass carp sample gradually decreased, while the a-amino nitrogen (ANN), thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS), total volatile base nitrogen (TVB-N), biogenic amines (BAs), and harmful microbial gradually increased. Besides, compared with NF samples at each fermentation time, significantly lower pH, Aw, TBARS, TVB-N, BAs, and harmful microbial presented in LF and FLF samples. However, FLF samples have a higher AAN content than that of NF and LF samples during fermentation. Overall, the fermentation with Lactobacillus plantarum and flavourzyme could contribute to fermented grass carp products with better physicochemical and safety properties.

Overexpression of BRINP3 Predicts Poor Prognosis and Promotes Cancer Cell Proliferation and Migration via MAP4 in Osteosarcoma.

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a primary malignant bone tumor most commonly affecting children and adolescents and is characterized by loss of differentiation. Bone morphogenetic protein/retinoic acid inducible neural-specific 3 (BRINP3) has been reported to regulate the differentiation of osteoblasts. However, the role that BRINP3 plays in the progression of osteosarcoma remains unknown. We found in this study that BRINP3 was highly expressed in 64.13% of human osteosarcoma tissues and it was associated with histological grade, tumor recurrence, and poor clinical prognosis of osteosarcoma. In vitro, downregulation of BRINP3 was able to inhibit the proliferation and invasion of osteosarcoma cell lines. Furthermore, BRINP3 interacted with microtubule-associated protein 4 (MAP4) at the protein level, and overexpression of MAP4 could partially reverse the inhibitory effect of downregulated BRINP3 on the proliferation and invasion of osteosarcoma cells, which indicates that downregulation of BRINP3 might suppress the proliferation and invasion of osteosarcoma cells by inhibiting MAP4 expression. Overall, our results demonstrate that BRINP3 functions as an oncogene within osteosarcoma through MAP4 and could therefore be used as a potential biomarker for osteosarcoma diagnostics and therapeutics.

Evaluation of aroma characteristics in grass carp mince as affected by different washing processes using an E-nose, HS-SPME-GC-MS, HS-GC-IMS, and sensory analysis.

The aroma characteristics of grass carp mince washed in four processes were analyzed via electronic nose (E-nose), headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS), headspace gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS), and sensory analysis techniques. Significant differences were revealed in the E-nose and sensory analysis results of the aroma characteristics of grass carp mince samples washed via different washing processes, while fifty-seven volatile compounds (thirteen aldehydes, eighteen alcohols, two ketones, eighteen hydrocarbons, two aromatic compounds, one furan, and two other compounds) and twenty volatile compounds (five aldehydes, four ketones, six alcohols, four esters, and one acid) were identified via HS-SPME-GC-MS and HS-GC-IMS of the Raw and washed grass carp mince samples, respectively. All these techniques revealed that the types and relative contents of volatile compounds in the grass carp mince decreased significantly and differently after each of the four washing processes. Moreover, compared with the water and saline solution washing processes, washing with weak alkaline solution processes exhibited the most significant removal effect on the volatile compounds of grass carp mince. Besides, the sensory analysis results also showed that weak alkaline solution washing processes (washing twice with pure water and once with 0.3% sodium bicarbonate solution) may be most effective in removing fishy off-odor compounds and contributing to a better overall aroma profile in grass carp mince. The findings of this study may provide some basic knowledge for the rational screening of washing methods in the production of high-quality grass carp surimi.

Changes of Physicochemical Characteristics and Flavor during Suanyu Fermentation with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

This study investigates the changes of the physicochemical characteristics and flavor of fermented Suanyu (Chinese fermented fish) during fermentation with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae). The related indicators, including pH, water activity (Aw), volatile base nitrogen (TVB-N), thiobarbituric acid (TBA), free amino acids (FAAs), microbial community, and volatile compounds were determined. L. plantarum fermentation samples (LP) and natural fermentation samples (NF) were used as controls. The pH and Aw of three groups of Suanyu samples decreased continuously through the entire fermentation process. Meanwhile, the TVB-N of three groups of samples increased gradually, while TBA first increased and then decreased. Notably, the pH, Aw, TVB-N, and TBA of MF group samples (inoculated L. plantarum and S. cerevisiae) were significantly lower than the NF group samples. In addition, both TVB-N and TBA of the MF group samples were lower than those of the LP group samples during fermentation, suggesting that combined fermentation could inhibit the growth of undesirable microorganisms more effectively. Lactobacillus were the main bacterial genus of the three group fermented samples during fermentation, and combined fermentation could promote the growth of Lactobacillus more significantly. In addition, the highest content of umami (145.16 mg/100 g), sweet amino acids (405.75 mg/100 g), and volatile compounds (especially alcohols and esters) were found in MF group samples, followed by the NF and LP group samples, indicating that combined fermentation could give Suanyu a better flavor quality. This study may provide a theoretical basis for the industrial production of fermented fish products and the improvement of fermentation technology.