Role of HMOX1 Promoter Genetic Variants in Chemoresistance and Chemotherapy Induced Neutropenia in Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Whilst the survival rates of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have increased remarkably over the last decades, the therapy resistance and toxicity are still the major causes of treatment failure. It was shown that overexpression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) promotes proliferation and chemoresistance of cancer cells. In humans, the HO-1 gene (HMOX1) expression is modulated by two polymorphisms in the promoter region: (GT)n-length polymorphism and single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) A(−413)T, with short GT repeat sequences and 413-A variants linked to an increased HO-1 inducibility. We found that the short alleles are significantly more frequent in ALL patients in comparison to the control group, and that their presence may be associated with a higher risk of treatment failure, reflecting the role of HO-1 in chemoresistance. We also observed that the presence of short alleles may predispose to develop chemotherapy-induced neutropenia. In case of SNP, the 413-T variant co-segregated with short or long alleles, while 413-A almost selectively co-segregated with long alleles, hence it is not possible to determine if SNPs are actually of phenotypic significance. Our results suggest that HO-1 can be a potential target to overcome the treatment failure in ALL patients.     

大气混合污染物对大鼠肺脏中血红素氧合酶1表达的影响

通过观察大气污染物引起大鼠肺损伤的病理组织学变化,分析肺组织内血红素氧合酶1（HO-1）的表达量的变化,为大气污染所致肺损伤的生物学标记物的研究提供科学依据。实验方法如下：将30只Wistar大鼠,随机分为3个实验组（3d、7d、30d组）和3个对照组（3d、7d、30d组）,对实验组大鼠染尘染毒后提取所有大鼠肺组织,观察其病理组织学变化;RT-PCR技术检测各组肺组织中HO-1的mRNA表达;Western-blot技术检测各组肺组织中HO-1蛋白的表达。结果显示：实验组（7d及30d）的肺组织病理形态学评分显著高于对照组（7d及30d）,实验组（7d及30d）大鼠肺组织HO-1mRNA表达与对照组相比,具有显著性差异（P均〈0.05）。随着吸入大气混合污染物的时间延长,肺组织内的HO-1蛋白表达水平逐渐增高,实验组（7d及30d）与对照组（7d及30d）相比,差异有显著性意义（P〈0.05）。在吸入大气混合污染物后早期（7d）,HO-1转录水平升高。持续吸入混合大气污染物（30d）,大鼠肺组织出现明显的病理组织学变化,HO-1转录水平、蛋白表达水平均比对照组明显升高。得出结论：可将HO-1作为大气混合污染物所致的肺损伤的早期生物学标记物;采取某些手段增加肺组织HO-1的表达,可能会减少混合大气污染物对肺组织造成的损伤。     

Communication Maps: Exploring Energy Transport through Proteins and Water

Frequency-resolved communication maps provide a coarse-grained, global mapping of energy transport channels in a protein as a function of frequency of modes that carry energy. We illustrate the approach with a study of the homodimeric hemoglobin of Scapharca inaequivalvis, which exhibits cooperativity during ligand binding. We compare energy transport between the two hemes of the unliganded and oxygenated protein, which is mediated by water as well as residues forming a hydrogen-bonding network at the interface between the globules, and lies along the pathway for allosteric transitions observed in time-resolved X-ray studies. Non-equilibrium molecular simulations on energy transport from the heme corroborate the energy transport pathways identified by the communication maps.     

Thermodynamic mechanism of free heme action on sickle cell hemoglobin polymerization

For insights into the mechanisms of heme action on the rate of sickle cell hemoglobin polymerization, we determine the erythrocytic concentration of free heme using a novel method based on enzymatic catalysis and luminescence. We find in sickle cell patients 44 ± 10 µM, in sickle trait individuals, 33 ± 4 µM, and in healthy adults, 21 ± 2 µM. We test the applicability of two mechanisms of heme action: a kinetic one, whereby heme aggregates serve as heterogeneous nucleation centers, and a thermodynamic pathway, in which free heme enhances the attraction between sickle hemoglobin (HbS) molecules in solution. We show that the latter mechanism exclusively operates. The enhanced attraction leads to increase of the total volume of a population of dense liquid clusters by about two orders of magnitude. As the dense liquid clusters serve as locations and precursors to the formation of the HbS polymer nuclei, their increased volume directly leads to faster polymer nucleation. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 61: 2861–2870, 2015     

Photoreduction of Shewanella oneidensis Extracellular Cytochromes by Organic Chromophores and Dye‐Sensitized TiO2

The transfer of photoenergized electrons from extracellular photosensitizers across a bacterial cell envelope to drive intracellular chemical transformations represents an attractive way to harness nature's catalytic machinery for solar‐assisted chemical synthesis. In Shewanella oneidensis MR‐1 (MR‐1), trans‐outer‐membrane electron transfer is performed by the extracellular cytochromes MtrC and OmcA acting together with the outer‐membrane‐spanning porin ? cytochrome complex (MtrAB). Here we demonstrate photoreduction of solutions of MtrC, OmcA, and the MtrCAB complex by soluble photosensitizers: namely, eosin Y, fluorescein, proflavine, flavin, and adenine dinucleotide, as well as by riboflavin and flavin mononucleotide, two compounds secreted by MR‐1. We show photoreduction of MtrC and OmcA adsorbed on Ru^II‐dye‐sensitized TiO₂ nanoparticles and that these protein‐coated particles perform photocatalytic reduction of solutions of MtrC, OmcA, and MtrCAB. These findings provide a framework for informed development of strategies for using the outer‐membrane‐associated cytochromes of MR‐1 for solar‐driven microbial synthesis in natural and engineered bacteria.     

microRNA-1304通过靶向血红素氧合酶-1对人肺癌细胞的抑制作用

目的:探讨miR-1304对肺癌细胞增殖和侵袭的作用及机制。方法:应用实时定量PCR检测miR-1304在不同转移能力肺癌A549和NCI-H1975细胞中的表达水平;脂质体2000介导分别转染miR-1304类似物和抑制物入A549 和 NCI-H1975细胞;应用MTT法和细胞集落形成实验分别检测miR-1304对肺癌细胞增殖活性的作用及生长抑制作用;细胞凋亡和细胞周期分别采用膜联蛋白V-PE/7-AAD和PI染色分析进行检测。双荧光素酶报告基因验证miR-1304是否作用于血红素氧合酶（heme oxygenase-1,HO-1） mRNA的3'UTR区预测靶位;Western blot检测HO-1蛋白水平。结果:miR-1304高表达可显著抑制肺癌细胞形成的数量和生存能力,以及诱导细胞凋亡和G0/G1期细胞周期阻滞。体外侵袭实验及细胞增殖实验结果显示,miR-1304可抑制肺癌细胞侵袭和增殖;经双荧光素酶报告基因验证HO-1是miR-1304的靶基因。结论:miR-1304在肺癌中表达,通过直接作用于HO-1可抑制肺癌细胞的侵袭和增殖,miR-1304是肺癌的一个潜在治疗靶点。