The Ubiquitin-Proteasome System and F-box Proteins in Pathogenic Fungi

( Tong Bao Liu ),( Chao Yang Xue ) 한국균학회 2011 Mycobiology Vol.39 No.4

The ubiquitin-proteasome system is one of the major protein turnover mechanisms that plays important roles in the regulation of a variety of cellular functions. It is composed of E1 (ubiquitin-activating enzyme), E2 (ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme), and E3 ubiquitin ligases that transfer ubiquitin to the substrates that are subjected to degradation in the 26S proteasome. The Skp1, Cullin, F-box protein (SCF) E3 ligases are the largest E3 gene family, in which the F-box protein is the key component to determine substrate specificity. Although the SCF E3 ligase and its F-box proteins have been extensively studied in the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, only limited studies have been reported on the role of F-box proteins in other fungi. Recently, a number of studies revealed that F-box proteins are required for fungal pathogenicity. In this communication, we review the current understanding of F-box proteins in pathogenic fungi.

Prognostic Role of Hepatoma-derived Growth Factor in Solid Tumors of Eastern Asia: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Bao, Ci-Hang,Liu, Kun,Wang, Xin-Tong,Ma, Wei,Wang, Jian-Bo,Wang, Cong,Jia, Yi-Bin,Wang, Na-Na,Tan, Bing-Xu,Song, Qing-Xu,Cheng, Yu-Feng Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.5

Hepatoma-derived growth factor (HDGF) is a novel jack-of-all-trades in cancer. Here we quantify the prognostic impact of this biomarker and assess how consistent is its expression in solid tumors. A comprehensive search strategy was used to search relevant literature updated on October 3, 2014 in PubMed, EMBASE and WEB of Science. Correlations between HDGF expression and clinicopathological features or cancer prognosis was analyzed. All pooled HRs or ORs were derived from random-effects models. Twenty-six studies, primarily in Eastern Asia, covering 2,803 patients were included in the analysis, all of them published during the past decade. We found that HDGF overexpression was significantly associated with overall survival (OS) ($HR_{OS}=2.35$, 95%CI=2.04-2.71, p<0.001) and disease free survival (DFS) ($HR_{DFS}=2.25$, 95%CI =1.81-2.79, p<0.001) in solid tumors, especially in non-small cell lung cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). Moreover, multivariate survival analysis showed that HDGF overexpression was an independent predictor of poor prognosis ($HR_{OS}=2.41$, 95%CI: 2.02-2.81, p<0.001; $HR_{DFS}=2.39$, 95%CI: 1.77-3.24, p<0.001). In addition, HDGF overexpression was significantly associated with tumor category (T3-4 versus T1-2, OR=2.12, 95%CI: 1.17-3.83, p=0.013) and lymph node status (N+ versus N-, OR=2.37, 95%CI: 1.31-4.29, p=0.03) in CCA. This study provides a comprehensive examination of the literature available on the association of HDGF overexpression with OS, DFS and some clinicopathological features in solid tumors. Meta-analysis results provide evidence that HDGF may be a new indicator of poor cancer prognosis. Considering the limitations of the eligible studies, other large-scale prospective trials must be conducted to clarify the prognostic value of HDGF in predicting cancer survival.

Acupuncture for Treatment of Erectile Dysfunction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Bao-yong Lai,Hui-juan Cao,Guo-yan Yang,Li-yan Jia,Suzanne Grant,Yu-tong Fei,Emma Wong,Xin-lin Li,Xiao-ying Yang,Jian-ping Liu 대한남성과학회 2019 The World Journal of Men's Health Vol.37 No.3

ChinaPurpose: To assess the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for erectile dysfunction (ED).Materials and Methods: We searched six major English and Chinese databases included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) testing acupuncture alone or in combination for ED. Dichotomous data were presented as risk ratio (RR) and continuous data were presented as mean difference (MD) both with 95% confidence interval (CI). The Revman (v.5.3) was used for data analyses. Quality of evidence across studies was assessed by the online GRADEpro tool.Results: We identified 22 RCTs, fourteen of them involving psychogenic ED. Most of the included RCTs had high or unclear risk of bias. There was no difference between electro-acupuncture and sham acupuncture with electrical stimulation on the rate of satisfaction and self-assessment (RR, 1.50; 95% CI, 0.71–3.16; 1 trial). Acupuncture combined with tadalafil appeared to have better effect on increasing cure rate (RR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.00–1.71; 2 trials), and International Index of Erectile Function-5 scores (MD, 5.38; 95% CI, 4.46–6.29; 2 trials). When acupuncture plus herbal medicine compared with herbal medicine alone, the combination therapy showed significant better improvement in erectile function (RR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.31–2.15; 7 trials). Only two trials reported facial red and dizziness cases, and needle sticking and pruritus cases in acupuncture group. Conclusions: Low quality evidence shows beneficial effect of acupuncture as adjunctive treatment for people mainly with psychogenic ED. Safety of acupuncture was insufficiently reported. The findings should be confirmed in large, rigorously designed and well-reported trials.

Neuregulin-1 promotes cardiomyocyte differentiation of genetically engineered embryonic stem cell clones

( Zhi Wang ),( Guo Tong Xu ),( Ya Lan Wu ),( Shao Wen Liu ),( Bao Gui Sun ),( Qiu Yan Dai ) 생화학분자생물학회 2008 BMB Reports Vol.41 No.10

Characterization and functional analysis of Krtap11-1 during hair follicle development in Angora rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

Shuang Liang,Zhiyuan Bao,Bohao Zhao,Tong Zhou,Jiali Li,Ming Liu,Shuaishuai Hu,Naisu Yang,Yang Chen,Xinsheng Wu 한국유전학회 2020 Genes & Genomics Vol.42 No.11

Background Keratin-associated protein (KAP), the structural protein molecule of hair fibers, plays a key role in determiningthe physical properties of hair. Studies of Krtap11-1 have focused only on its localization. Functional studies of Krtap11-1in hair follicle development have so far not been reported. Objective This study aimed to provide evidence for the role of Krtap11-1 in skin and hair development. Methods Full-length cloning and analysis of Krtap11-1 were conducted to ascertain its function. Overexpression vectors andinterference sequences were constructed and transfected into RAB-9 cells. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR) was used to investigate the hair follicle developmental stage of Krtap11-1, the expression of different tissues,and the effects on other hair follicle development-related genes. Results The full length of cloned Krtap11-1 was 947 bp. Krtap11-1 was confirmed to be a hydrophilic protein localizedmostly in mitochondria. The greatest mRNA expression was observed in skin. Using a follicle synchronization model, itwas found that Krtap11-1 mRNA expression levels first increased then decreased over the passage of time, principally duringhair follicle catagen and telogen. Following the overexpression of Krtap11-1, mRNA expression levels of the WNT-2,KRT17, BMP-2, and TGF-β-1 genes increased, and LEF-1 decreased (P < 0.05), the converse after the corresponding useof si-RNA interference. Conclusions Krtap11-1 exerts a promoting effect. The results provide novel insight into the relationship between hair follicledevelopment and Krtap11-1 gene expression.

Selective blockade of spinal D2DR by levocorydalmine attenuates morphine tolerance via suppressing PI3K/Akt-MAPK signaling in a MOR-dependent manner

Wen-Ling Dai,Xin-Tong Liu,Yi-Ni Bao,Bing Yan,Nan Jiang,Bo-Yang Yu,Ji-Hua Liu 생화학분자생물학회 2018 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.50 No.-

Morphine tolerance remains a challenge in the management of chronic pain in the clinic. As shown in our previous study, the dopamine D2 receptor (D2DR) expressed in spinal cord neurons might be involved in morphine tolerance, but the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. In the present study, selective spinal D2DR blockade attenuated morphine tolerance in mice by inhibiting phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K)/serine–threonine kinase (Akt)-mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling in a μ opioid receptor (MOR)-dependent manner. Levocorydalmine (l-CDL), which exhibited micromolar affinity for D2DR in D2/CHO-K1 cell lines in this report and effectively alleviated bone cancer pain in our previous study, attenuated morphine tolerance in rats with chronic bone cancer pain at nonanalgesic doses. Furthermore, the intrathecal administration of l-CDL obviously attenuated morphine tolerance, and the effect was reversed by a D2DR agonist in mice. Spinal D2DR inhibition and l-CDL also inhibited tolerance induced by the MOR agonist DAMGO. l-CDL and a D2DR small interfering RNA (siRNA) decreased the increase in levels of phosphorylated Akt and MAPK in the spinal cord; these changes were abolished by a PI3K inhibitor. In addition, the activated Akt and MAPK proteins in mice exhibiting morphine tolerance were inhibited by a MOR antagonist. Intrathecal administration of a PI3K inhibitor also attenuated DAMGO-induced tolerance. Based on these results, l-CDL antagonized spinal D2DR to attenuate morphine tolerance by inhibiting PI3K/Akt-dependent MAPK phosphorylation through MOR. These findings provide insights into a more versatile treatment for morphine tolerance.

Assembly mechanisms of soil bacterial communities in subalpine coniferous forests on the Loess Plateau, China

Pengyu Zhao,Jinxian Liu,Tong Jia,Zhengming Luo,Cui Li,Bao-Feng Chai 한국미생물학회 2019 The journal of microbiology Vol.57 No.6

Microbial community assembly is affected by trade-offs between deterministic and stochastic processes. However, the mechanisms underlying the relative influences of the two processes remain elusive. This knowledge gap limits our ability to understand the effects of community assembly processes on microbial community structures and functions. To better understand community assembly mechanisms, the community dynamics of bacterial ecological groups were investigated based on niche breadths in 23 soil plots from subalpine coniferous forests on the Loess Plateau in Shanxi, China. Here, the overall community was divided into the ecological groups that corresponded to habitat generalists, ‘other taxa’ and specialists. Redundancy analysis based on Bray-Curtis distances (db-RDA) and multiple regression tree (MRT) analysis indicated that soil organic carbon (SOC) was a general descriptor that encompassed the environmental gradients by which the communities responded to, because it can explain more significant variations in community diversity patterns. The three ecological groups exhibited different niche optima and degrees of specialization (i.e., niche breadths) along the SOC gradient, suggesting the presence of a gradient in tolerance for environmental heterogeneity. The inferred community assembly processes varied along the SOC gradient, wherein a transition was observed from homogenizing dispersal to variable selection that reflects increasing deterministic processes. Moreover, the ecological groups were inferred to perform different community functions that varied with community composition, structure. In conclusion, these results contribute to our understanding of the trade-offs between community assembly mechanisms and the responses of community structure and function to environmental gradients.

Cues of intraguild predators (Harmonia axyridis) and different temperatures alter foraging and oviposition strategies of the parasitoid Aphidius gifuensis

Yu Xing-Lin,Feng Yi,Liu Tong-Xian,Qiu Bao-Li 한국응용곤충학회 2023 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.26 No.2

Organisms live in complex systems where they simultaneously balance responses to multiple factors. Insects are dealing with indirect pressures from predators under the influence of temperature. Currently, little is known about how they balance these factors. Under laboratory conditions, we investigated the effects of the predator Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) cues and temperature (23, 28, and 33 ◦ C) on the foraging and oviposition behavior of the parasitoid Aphidius gifuensis Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) using the aphid Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) as a host. In all trials, the frequency and duration of stinging, walking, or stationary behavior of A. gifuensis were not influenced by H. axyridis cues. However, in trials with predator cues, A. gifuensis produced less offspring than trials without predator cues. On the other hand, the frequency of A. gifuensis stinging, walking, or stationary behavior, and the number of A. gifuensis larvae increased with rising temperature. Specially, when the predator cues were present, parasitoid responded to rising tem peratures by increasing frequency of each behavior and an increase in offspring number. Our findings indicate that A. gifuensis might show flexible foraging and oviposition behavior in response to H. axyridis associated cues and different temperatures. Thus, the effects of both temperature and H. axyridis cues should be considered when assessing the foraging outcomes of A. gifuensis prior to combining these two enemies in aphid management practice.

Evaluation of the Geometric Accuracy of Anatomic Landmarks as Surrogates for Intrapulmonary Tumors in Image-guided Radiotherapy

Li, Hong-Sheng,Kong, Ling-Ling,Zhang, Jian,Li, Bao-Sheng,Chen, Jin-Hu,Zhu, Jian,Liu, Tong-Hai,Yin, Yong Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.5

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the geometric accuracy of thoracic anatomic landmarks as target surrogates of intrapulmonary tumors for manual rigid registration during image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT). Methods: Kilovolt cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images acquired during IGRT for 29 lung cancer patients with 33 tumors, including 16 central and 17 peripheral lesions, were analyzed. We selected the "vertebrae", "carina", and "large bronchi" as the candidate surrogates for central targets, and the "vertebrae", "carina", and "ribs" as the candidate surrogates for peripheral lesions. Three to six pairs of small identifiable markers were noted in the tumors for the planning CT and Day 1 CBCT. The accuracy of the candidate surrogates was evaluated by comparing the distances of the corresponding markers after manual rigid matching based on the "tumor" and a particular surrogate. Differences between the surrogates were assessed using 1-way analysis of variance and post hoc least-significant-difference tests. Results: For central targets, the residual errors increased in the following ascending order: "tumor", "bronchi", "carina", and "vertebrae"; there was a significant difference between "tumor" and "vertebrae" (p = 0.010). For peripheral diseases, the residual errors increased in the following ascending order: "tumor", "rib", "vertebrae", and "carina"; There was a significant difference between "tumor" and "carina" (p = 0.005). Conclusions: The "bronchi" and "carina" are the optimal surrogates for central lung targets, while "rib" and "vertebrae" are the optimal surrogates for peripheral lung targets for manual matching of online and planned tumors.