Curcumin Sensitises Cancerous Kidney Cells to TRAIL Induced Apoptosis via Let-7C Mediated Deregulation of Cell Cycle Proteins and Cellular Metabolism

Targeted therapies are the most attractive options in the treatment of different tumours, including kidney cancers. Such therapies have entered a golden era due to advancements in research, breakthroughs in scientific knowledge, and a better understanding of cancer therapy mechanisms, which significantly improve the survival rates and life expectancy of patients. The use of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL) as an anticancer therapy has attracted the attention of the scientific community and created great excitement due to its selectivity in targeting cancerous cells with no toxic impacts on normal tissues. However, clinical studies disappointingly showed the emergence of resistance against TRAIL. This study aimed to employ curcumin to sensitise TRAIL-resistant kidney cancerous ACHN cells, as well as to gain insight into the molecular mechanisms of TRAIL sensitization. Curcumin deregulated the expression of apoptosis-regulating micro Ribonucleic Acid (miRNAs), most notably, let-7C. Transfecting ACHN cells with a let-7C antagomir significantly increased the expression of several cell cycle protein, namely beta (β)-catenin, cyclin dependent kinase (CDK)1/2/4/6 and cyclin B/D. Further, it overexpressed the expression of the two key glycolysis regulating proteins including hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α) and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 (PDK1). Curcumin also suppressed the expression of the overexpressed proteins when added to the antagomir transfected cells. Overall, curcumin targeted ACHN cell cycle and cellular metabolism by promoting the differential expression of let-7C. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to mechanistically report the cancer chemosensitisation potential of curcumin in kidney cancer cells via induction of let-7C.     

重组B7-H1IgV融合蛋白的表达、纯化及活性鉴定

目的以B7-H1为靶点,研制肿瘤免疫治疗蛋白疫苗。方法将人B7-H1胞外片段IgV区基因插入pQE-30原核表达载体,转化大肠杆菌,经IPTG诱导表达。Ni2+-NTA亲和层析纯化蛋白,Westernblot鉴定。用纯化的rhB7-H1IgV蛋白免疫昆明小鼠,经ELISA、流式细胞术、免疫组化技术和CDC试验测定融合蛋白及其抗血清的生物学活性。结果所构建的pQE-30-TT-B7-H1IgV表达载体,能稳定表达rhB7-H1IgV蛋白,经纯化后免疫昆明小鼠,可获得高滴度抗B7-H1抗血清。经流式细胞术和免疫组化检测显示,其抗血清可与HT-29/B7-H1+及SP2/0肿瘤细胞结合,且在CDC试验中,可依赖补体杀伤HT-29/B7-H1+及SP2/0肿瘤细胞。结论rhB7-H1IgV融合蛋白不仅可引发小鼠体液免疫应答,而且其抗体还能与表达B7-H1的肿瘤细胞相结合,并介导补体依赖的体外杀伤作用。     

Mutual Effects of Orexin and Bone Morphogenetic Proteins on Gonadotropin Expression by Mouse Gonadotrope Cells

Orexin plays a key role in the regulation of sleep and wakefulness and in feeding behavior in the central nervous system, but its receptors are expressed in various peripheral tissues including endocrine tissues. In the present study, we elucidated the effects of orexin on pituitary gonadotropin regulation by focusing on the functional involvement of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) and clock genes using mouse gonadotrope LβT2 cells that express orexin type 1 (OX1R) and type 2 (OX2R) receptors. Treatments with orexin A enhanced LHβ and FSHβ mRNA expression in a dose-dependent manner in the absence of GnRH, whereas orexin A in turn suppressed GnRH-induced gonadotropin expression in LβT2 cells. Orexin A downregulated GnRH receptor expression, while GnRH enhanced OX1R and OX2R mRNA expression. Treatments with orexin A as well as GnRH increased the mRNA levels of Bmal1 and Clock, which are oscillational regulators for gonadotropin expression. Of note, treatments with BMP-6 and -15 enhanced OX1R and OX2R mRNA expression with upregulation of clock gene expression. On the other hand, orexin A enhanced BMP receptor signaling of Smad1/5/9 phosphorylation through upregulation of ALK-2/BMPRII among the BMP receptors expressed in LβT2 cells. Collectively, the results indicate that orexin regulates gonadotropin expression via clock gene expression by mutually interacting with GnRH action and the pituitary BMP system in gonadotrope cells.     

FABP7基因真核表达载体的构建及其对人乳腺癌细胞MCF-7增殖的影响

目的构建脑脂肪酸结合蛋白(BLBP/B-FABP,FABP7)基因的真核表达载体,并检测其对人乳腺癌细胞MCF-7增殖的影响。方法采用逆转录方法从星型细胞瘤组织中扩增FABP7基因,双酶切后插入线性化的pcDNA3.1载体真核启动子下游,构建重组真核表达载体,转染人乳腺癌细胞MCF-7后,采用半定量RT-PCR检测FABP7基因mRNA的表达,MTT法检测细胞的增殖活性、流式细胞术检测细胞的周期变化情况,并对细胞进行计数。结果FABP7基因重组真核表达质粒经双酶切及测序鉴定证明构建正确,转染MCF-7细胞后48、72和96h,pcDNA3.1-FABP7组的细胞数和细胞的A490值均比pcDNA3.1空质粒组明显降低,G1期细胞百分含量均明显升高。结论已成功构建了FABP7基因的真核表达载体,该载体可抑制人乳腺癌细胞MCF-7的增殖。     

Analysis of Phosphoinositide-Binding Properties and Subcellular Localization of GFP-Fusion Proteins

Specific protein‐phosphoinositide (PI) interactions are known to play a key role in the targeting of proteins to specific cellular membranes. Investigation of these interactions would be greatly facilitated if GFP‐fusion proteins expressed in mammalian cells and used for their subcellular localization could also be employed for in vitro lipid binding. In this study, we found that lysates of cells overexpressing GFP‐fusion proteins could be used for in vitro protein‐PI binding assays. We applied this approach to examine the PI‐binding properties of Aplysia Sec7 protein (ApSec7) and its isoform ApSec7(VPKIS), in which a VPKIS sequence is inserted into the PH domain of ApSec7. EGFP‐ApSec7 but not EGFP‐ApSec7(VPKIS) did specifically bind to PI(3,4,5)P₃ in an in vitro lipid‐coated bead assay. Overexpression of EGFP‐ApSec7 but not EGFP‐ApSec7(VPKIS) did induce neurite outgrowth in Aplysia sensory neurons. Structure modeling analysis revealed that the inserted VPKIS caused misfolding around the PI(3,4,5)P₃‐binding pocket of ApSec7 and disturbed the binding of PI(3,4,5)P₃ to the pleckstrin homology (PH) domain. Our data indicate that plasma membrane localization of EGFP‐ApSec7 via the interaction between its PH domain and PI(3,4,5)P₃ might play a key role in neurite outgrowth in Aplysia.     

Cover Picture: A Fusion of Disciplines: Chemical Approaches to Exploit Fusion Proteins for Functional Genomics (ChemBioChem 9/2003)

The cover picture shows a living cell inside which a protein is labeled with fluorescein. The labeling is based on the unusual mechanism of the DNA repair protein O⁶‐alkylguanine‐DNA alkyltransferase (AGT, structure on the right), which irreversibly transfers the alkyl group from O⁶‐alkylguanine to its reactive cysteine residue. By using O⁶‐benzylguanine derivatives such as the fluorescein derivative shown, AGT fusion proteins can be covalently labeled in vivo. The method is one example of a growing number of approaches that aim at equipping proteins with functionalities that can not be genetically encoded, which opens up new ways to study proteins in vivo. Further information can be found in the article by N. Johnsson and K. Johnsson on p. 803 ff.     

生长抑素(SS)基因在大肠杆菌pT7ZZ表达系统中的克隆与表达

目的 构建和筛选既能稳定、高效表达SS融合蛋白，又能使这种融合蛋白保持良好的SS抗原性和高水溶性等特点的重组质粒。方法 用 BamH I/Xho I (B/X）和 BamH I/EcoR I（B/E）双酶切，将含有SS基因的片段由pThioHis A中切出，然后分别克隆到 pT7ZZa中的相应酶切位点，得到pSSB/X（短尾）和pSS-B/E(长尾)两个重组质粒，用常规表达技术在大肠杆菌中对其进行表达。结果 pSS-B/X和pSS-B/E两个重组质粒在宿主菌BL21（DE3）中均获得表达，pSS-B/X获得高效表达后融合蛋白占菌体总蛋白的30．6％。两个表达菌经超声裂解后电泳发现，SS－B/X－ZZ和SS－B/E－ZZ这两种融合蛋白基本为可溶性蛋白，沉淀中含量极低。二者均具有良好的抗原性，结论pSS-B/X重组质粒很有希望成为SS基因疫苗的候选质粒。     

Hsa-Let-7g miRNA Targets Caspase-3 and Inhibits the Apoptosis Induced by ox-LDL in Endothelial Cells

It has been well confirmed ox-LDL plays key roles in the development of atherosclerosis via binding to LOX-1 and inducing apoptosis in vascular endothelial cells. Recent studies have shown ox-LDL can suppress microRNA has-let-7g, which in turn inhibits the ox-LDL induced apoptosis. However, details need to be uncovered. To determine the anti-atherosclerosis effect of microRNA has-let-7g, and to evaluate the possibility of CASP3 as an anti-atherosclerotic drug target by has-let-7g, the present study determined the role of hsa-let-7g miRNA in ox-LDL induced apoptosis in the vascular endothelial cells. We found that miRNA has-let-7g was suppressed during the ox-LDL-induced apoptosis in EAhy926 endothelial cells. In addition, overexpression of has-let-7g negatively regulated apoptosis in the endothelial cells by targeting caspase-3 expression. Therefore, miRNA let-7g may play important role in endothelial apoptosis and atherosclerosis.     

Urea-Modified Soy Globulin Proteins (7S and 11S): Effect of Wettability and Secondary Structure on Adhesion

This investigation characterized wettability and adhesive properties of the major soy protein components conglycinin (7S) and glycinin (11S) after urea modification. Modified 7S and 11S soy proteins were evaluated for gluing strength with pine, walnut, and cherry plywood and for wettability using a bubble shape analyzer. The results showed that different adhesives had varying degrees of wettability on the wood specimens. The 7S soy protein modified with urea had better wettability on cherry and walnut. The 11S soy protein modified with 1M urea had better wettability on pine. The 1M urea modification gave 11S soy protein the greatest bonding strength in all the wood specimens. The 3M urea modification gave 7S soy protein stronger adhesion on cherry and walnut than did 11S protein; but with pine, 11S soy protein had greater adhesion strength than 7S soy protein. Measurement of protein secondary structures indicated that the β-sheet played an important role in the adhesion strength of 3M urea-modified soy protein in cherry and walnut, while random coil was the major factor reducing adhesion strength of 7S soy protein modified with 1M urea.     

The Effects of Genistein at Different Concentrations on MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells and BJ Dermal Fibroblasts

This study aimed to evaluate the safety and potential use of soy isoflavones in the treatment of skin problems, difficult-to-heal wounds and postoperative scars in women after the oncological treatment of breast cancer. The effects of different concentrations of genistein as a representative of soy isoflavonoids on MCF-7 tumor cells and BJ skin fibroblasts cultured in vitro were assessed. Genistein affects both healthy dermal BJ fibroblasts and cancerous MCF-7 cells. The effect of the tested isoflavonoid is closely related to its concentration. High concentrations of genistein destroy MCF-7 cancer cells, regardless of the exposure time, with a much greater effect on reducing cancer cell numbers at longer times (48 h). Lower concentrations of genistein (10 and 20 μM) increase the abundance of dermal fibroblasts. However, higher concentrations of genistein (50 μM and higher) are detrimental to fibroblasts at longer exposure times (48 h). Our studies indicate that although genistein shows high potential for use in the treatment of skin problems, wounds and surgical scars in women during and after breast cancer treatment, it is not completely safe. Introducing isoflavonoids to treatment requires further research into their mechanisms of action at the molecular level, taking into account genetic and immunological aspects. It is also necessary to conduct research in in vivo models, which will allow for eliminating adverse side effects of therapy.     

7-氨基头孢烷酸中蛋白质含量的检测

7-氨基头孢烷酸(7-ACA)为生产半合成头孢类抗生素的重要母核,其质量情况直接决定了各类合成头孢产品生产质量水平。为监控产品质量,采用考马斯亮蓝(Coomassie Brilliant Blue)法对7-氨基头孢烷酸(7-ACA)中蛋白质浓度进行检测,并对检测方法进行验证:检测波长为595 nm,蛋白质含量为0.000～100.000μg呈良好线性,相关系数r=0.999 3,平均回收率为99.3%(n=3)。采用考马斯亮蓝法对7-氨基头孢烷酸(7-ACA)中蛋白质浓度进行检测,灵敏度高,准确、可靠,可作为7-氨基头孢烷酸的质量控制方法。     

Effect of Inducible BMP-7 Expression on the Osteogenic Differentiation of Human Dental Pulp Stem Cells

BMP-7 has shown inductive potential for in vitro osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells, which are an ideal resource for regenerative medicine. Externally applied, recombinant BMP-7 was able to induce the osteogenic differentiation of DPSCs but based on our previous results with BMP-2, we aimed to study the effect of the tetracyclin-inducible BMP-7 expression on these cells. DPSC, mock, and DPSC-BMP-7 cell lines were cultured in the presence or absence of doxycycline, then alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, mineralization, and mRNA levels of different osteogenic marker genes were measured. In the DPSC-BMP-7 cell line, the level of BMP-7 mRNA significantly increased in the media supplemented with doxycycline, however, the expression of Runx2 and noggin genes was upregulated only after 21 days of incubation in the osteogenic medium with doxycycline. Moreover, while the examination of ALP activity showed reduced activity in the control medium containing doxycycline, the accumulation of minerals remained unchanged in the cultures. We have found that the induced BMP-7 expression failed to induce osteogenic differentiation of DPSCs. We propose three different mechanisms that may worth investigating for the engineering of expression systems that can be used for the induction of differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells.     

Oxidative Stress-Mediated Apoptosis Induced by Ethanolic Mango Seed Extract in Cultured Estrogen Receptor Positive Breast Cancer MCF-7 Cells

Breast cancer has become a global health issue requiring huge expenditures for care and treatment of patients. There is a need to discover newer cost-effective alternatives for current therapeutic regimes. Mango kernel is a waste product with potential as a source of anti-cancer phytochemicals, especially since it is non-toxic towards normal breast cell lines at concentrations for which it induces cell death in breast cancer cells. In this study, the anti-cancer effect of mango kernel extract was determined on estrogen receptor-positive human breast carcinoma (MCF-7) cells. The MCF-7 cells were cultured and treated with 5, 10 and 50 μg/mL of mango kernel extract for 12 and 24 h. In response to treatment, there were time- and dose-dependent increases in oxidative stress markers and pro-apoptotic factors; Bcl-2-like protein 4 (BAX), p53, cytochrome c and caspases (7, 8 and 9) in the MCF-7 cells treated with the extract. At the same time, there were decreases in pro-survival markers (Bcl-2 and glutathione) as the result of the treatments. The changes induced in the MCF-7 cells by mango kernel extract treatment suggest that the extract can induce cancer cell apoptosis, likely via the activation of oxidative stress. These findings need to be evaluated further to determine whether mango kernel extract can be developed as an anti-breast cancer agent.     

Malondialdehyde-Acetaldehyde Modified (MAA) Proteins Differentially Effect the Inflammatory Response in Macrophage,Endothelial Cells and Animal Models of Cardiovascular Disease

Chronic inflammation plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Currently, the mechanism(s) by which inflammation contributes to this disease are not entirely understood. Inflammation is known to induce oxidative stress, which can lead to lipid peroxidation. Lipid peroxidation can result in the production of reactive by-products that can oxidatively modify macromolecules including DNA, proteins, and lipoproteins. A major reactive by-product of lipid peroxidation is malondialdehyde (MDA). MDA can subsequently break down to form acetaldehyde (AA). These two aldehydes can covalently interact with the epsilon (ε)-amino group of lysines within proteins and lipoproteins leading to the formation of extremely stable, highly immunogenic malondialdehyde/acetaldehyde adducts (MAA-adducts). The aim of this study was to investigate the inflammatory response to MAA-modified human serum albumin (HSA-MAA) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL-MAA). We found that animals injected with LDL-MAA generate antibodies specific to MAA-adducts. The level of anti-MAA antibodies were further increased in an animal model of atherosclerosis fed a Western diet. An animal model that combined both high fat diet and immunization of MAA-modified protein resulted in a dramatic increase in antibodies to MAA-adducts and vascular fat accumulation compared with controls. In vitro exposure of endothelial cells and macrophages to MAA-modified proteins resulted in increased fat accumulation as well as increased expression of adhesion molecules and pro-inflammatory cytokines. The expression of cytokines varied between the different cell lines and was unique to the individual modified proteins. The results of these studies demonstrate that different MAA-modified proteins elicit unique responses in different cell types. Additionally, the presence of MAA-modified proteins appears to modulate cellular metabolism leading to increased accumulation of triglycerides and further progression of the inflammatory response.     

A Pyrazolate Osmium(VI) Nitride Exhibits Anticancer Activity through Modulating Protein Homeostasis in HepG2 Cells

Interest in the third-row transition metal osmium and its compounds as potential anticancer agents has grown in recent years. Here, we synthesized the osmium(VI) nitrido complex Na[Os^VI(N)(tpm)₂] (tpm = [5-(Thien-2-yl)-1H-pyrazol-3-yl]methanol), which exhibited a greater inhibitory effect on the cell viabilities of the cervical, ovarian, and breast cancer cell lines compared with cisplatin. Proteomics analysis revealed that Na[Os^VI(N)(tpm)₂] modulates the expression of protein-transportation-associated, DNA-metabolism-associated, and oxidative-stress-associated proteins in HepG2 cells. Perturbation of protein expression activity by the complex in cancer cells affects the functions of the mitochondria, resulting in high levels of cellular oxidative stress and low rates of cell survival. Moreover, it caused G2/M phase cell cycle arrest and caspase-mediated apoptosis of HepG2 cells. This study reveals a new high-valent osmium complex as an anticancer agent candidate modulating protein homeostasis.     

氟吗啉对人乳腺癌细胞株MCF-7细胞增殖的影响

研究氟吗啉对MCF-7细胞增殖的影响.实验中设定溶剂对照组、雌激素组(10-7～10-12 mol/L)和氟吗啉各剂量组(10-5～10-9 mol/L),染毒7 d,采用噻唑蓝(MTT)法对人乳腺癌MCF-7细胞增殖情况进行分析,酶标仪检测吸光度(490 nm).氟吗啉各剂量组的增殖率在87.1%～129%之间,与溶剂对照组相比均无显著性差异.氟吗啉可能不具有拟雌激素样活性.     

Role of MicroRNA-7 (MiR-7) in Cancer Physiopathology

miRNAs are non-coding RNA sequences of approximately 22 nucleotides that interact with genes by inhibiting their translation through binding to their 3′ or 5′ UTR regions. Following their discovery, the role they play in the development of various pathologies, particularly cancer, has been studied. In this context, miR-7 is described as an important factor in the development of cancer because of its role as a tumor suppressor, regulating a large number of genes involved in the development and progression of cancer. Recent data support the function of miR-7 as a prognostic biomarker in cancer, and miR-7 has been proposed as a strategy in cancer therapy. In this work, the role of miR-7 in various types of cancer is reviewed, illustrating its regulation, direct targets, and effects, as well as its possible relationship to the clinical outcome of cancer patients.     

Using ELP Repeats as a Scaffold for De Novo Construction of Gadolinium-Binding Domains within Multifunctional Recombinant Proteins for Targeted Delivery of Gadolinium to Tumour Cells

Three artificial proteins that bind the gadolinium ion (Gd³⁺) with tumour-specific ligands were de novo engineered and tested as candidate drugs for binary radiotherapy (BRT) and contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Gd³⁺-binding modules were derived from calmodulin. They were joined with elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) repeats from human elastin to form the four-centre Gd³⁺-binding domain (4MBS-domain) that further was combined with F3 peptide (a ligand of nucleolin, a tumour marker) to form the F3-W4 block. The F3-W4 block was taken alone (E2-13W4 protein), as two repeats (E1-W8) and as three repeats (E1-W12). Each protein was supplemented with three copies of the RGD motif (a ligand of integrin αvβ3) and green fluorescent protein (GFP). In contrast to Magnevist (a Gd-containing contrast agent), the proteins exhibited three to four times higher accumulation in U87MG glioma and A375 melanoma cell lines than in normal fibroblasts. The proteins remained for >24 h in tumours induced by Ca755 adenocarcinoma in C57BL/6 mice. They exhibited stability towards blood proteases and only accumulated in the liver and kidney. The technological advantages of using the engineered proteins as a basis for developing efficient and non-toxic agents for early diagnosis of tumours by MRI as well as part of BRT were demonstrated.     

重组人B7-H4IgV融合蛋白的表达、纯化及活性

目的表达、纯化重组人B7-H4IgV融合蛋白,并检测其活性。方法将人B7-H4胞外片段IgV区基因插入pQE-30原核表达载体,转化大肠杆菌,IPTG诱导表达。表达产物经Ni2+-NTA柱亲和层析纯化,并进行Westernblot鉴定。用纯化的rhB7-H4IgV蛋白免疫昆明小鼠,经ELISA、流式细胞术测定小鼠抗血清的活性;免疫SP2/0荷瘤小鼠,观察对肿瘤细胞生长的抑制作用。结果表达的rhB7-H4IgV蛋白约占菌体总蛋白的25%,纯化后蛋白纯度为93%,浓度约为0.5mg/ml,与抗His单抗可产生特异性反应条带。免疫昆明小鼠产生的抗血清效价可达1∶10000,可与SP2/0肿瘤细胞结合。rhB7-H4IgV蛋白对SP2/0移植瘤生长具有一定的抑制作用。结论已成功表达并纯化了重组人B7-H4IgV融合蛋白,纯化蛋白可诱发小鼠体内免疫应答,产生的抗体能与表达B7-H4的肿瘤细胞SP2/0结合,rhB7-H4IgV蛋白在一定程度上能抑制SP2/0移植瘤的生长。     

Insulin-like Growth Factor 2 (IGF-2) and Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Protein 7 (IGFBP-7) Are Upregulated after Atypical Antipsychotics in Spanish Schizophrenia Patients

Insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF-2) and IGF binding protein 7 (IGFBP-7) have been related to schizophrenia (SZ) due to their implication in neurodevelopment. The purpose of this study was to assess whether the alterations in IGF-2 and IGFBP-7 in SZ patients are intrinsically related to the psychiatric disorder itself or are a secondary phenomenon due to antipsychotic treatment. In order to test this hypothesis, we measured plasma IGF-2 and IGFBP-7 in drug-naïve first episode (FE) and multiple episodes or chronic (ME) SZ Caucasian patients who have been following treatment for years. A total of 55 SZ patients (FE = 15, ME = 40) and 45 healthy controls were recruited. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the Self-Assessment Anhedonia Scale (SAAS) were employed to check schizophrenic symptomatology and anhedonia, respectively. Plasma IGF-2 and IGFBP-7 levels were measured by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). The FE SZ patients had much lower IGF-2, but not IGFBP-7, than controls. Moreover, both IGF-2 and IGFBP-7 significantly increased after atypical antipsychotic treatment (aripiprazole, olanzapine, or risperidone) in these patients. On the other hand, chronic patients showed higher levels of both proteins when compared to controls. Our study suggests that circulatory IGF-2 and IGFBP-7 increase after antipsychotic treatment, regardless of long-term conditions and being lower in drug-naïve FE patients.