Association Between VDR Polymorphisms and Breast Cancer: An Updated and Comparative Meta-analysis of Crude and Adjusted Odd Ratios

Huang, Qian-Qian,Liao, Yu-Yi,Ye, Xiao-Hua,Fu, Jin-Jian,Chen, Si-Dong Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.2

There is a lot of debate on the relationship between vitamin D receptor polymorphisms and risk of breast cancer. Herein, we quantitatively analyzed the published case-control studies on this relationship by meta-analysis, performing a bibliographic search from Pubmed and CNKI up to July 31, 2013. The included case-control studies for Fok1, Bsm1, Taq1, Apa1, Cdx2 and Poly-A were 16, 19, 20, 10, 4, 6, respectively. Crude and adjusted odd ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated to present and compare the strength of any associations. The results of combined analyses indicated that Fok1, Bsm1, Apa1, Cdx2 and Poly-A were not significantly associated with the risk of breast cancer. In contrast, the tt genotype of Taq1 was a modest risk factor for breast cancer development (tt vs. TT: OR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.01-1.44). To further confirm the above results, adjusted effects for the six polymorphisms were pooled based on adjusted ORs reported in the original studies. Adjusted ORs of Fok1, Apa1, Cdx2 and Poly-A were similar to the crude ORs. However, Bsm1 and Taq1 showed inconsistent results. For Bsm1, OR for BB vs. bb was 0.85, 95% CI: 0.74-0.98; for Taq1, OR for tt vs. TT was 1.03, 95% CI: 0.92-1.15, and not associated with risk. Subgroup analyses for crude ORs showed some association between Bsm1, Taq1 and breast cancer in Caucasians only, but for adjusted ORs, no associations were found. This meta-analysis suggests that the roles that Fok1, Apa1, Cdx2 and Poly-A polymorphisms play in breast cancer risk are negligible, with Bsm1 and Taq1 as possible exceptions. To be conservative, we still assumed that they may play a modest role in determining breast cancer risk. Further studies are needed to validate our findings.

The comparison of microbial communities in thyroid tissues from thyroid carcinoma patients

Liu Chen-Jian,Chen Si-Qian,Zhang Si-Yao,Wang Jia-Lun,Tang Xiao-Dan,Yang Kun-Xian,Li Xiao-Ran 한국미생물학회 2021 The journal of microbiology Vol.59 No.11

Thyroid carcinoma is a common endocrine organ cancer associated with abnormal hormone secretion, leading to the disorder of metabolism. The intestinal microbiota is vital to maintain digestive and immunologic homeostasis. The relevant information of the microbial community in the gut and thyroid, including composition, structure, and relationship, is unclear in thyroid carcinoma patients. A total of 93 samples from 25 patients were included in this study. The results showed that microbial communities existed in thyroid tissue; gut and thyroid had high abundance of facultative anaerobes from the Proteobacteria phyla. The microbial metabolism from the thyroid and gut may be affected by the thyroid carcinoma cells. The cooccurrence network showed that the margins of different thyroid tissues were unique areas with more competition; the stabilization of microcommunities from tissue and stool may be maintained by several clusters of species that may execute different vital metabolism processes dominantly that are attributed to the microenvironment of cancer.

Characterization of a novel ribose-5-phosphate isomerase B from Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens ZXL1 for D-allose production

Qian Zheng,Si Long,Zhi Chen,Jiaolong Fu,Xin Ju,Liangzhi Li 한국식품과학회 2024 Food Science and Biotechnology Vol.33 No.7

Enzymatic preparation of rare sugars as an alternative to traditional sweeteners is an effective strategy to achieve a low-calorie healthy diet. Ribose-5-phosphate isomerase B (RpiB) is a key enzyme in the non-oxidative branch of the catalytic pentose phosphate pathway. Here, we investigated the potential of Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens ZXL1 (C. flaccumfaciens ZXL1) derived RpiB (CfRpiB) in D-allose preparation. The optimal reaction conditions for recombinant CfRpiB were found experimentally to be pH 7.0, 55 °C, and no metal ions. The kinetic parameters Km, kcat, and catalytic efficiency kcat/Km were 320 mM, 4769 s−1, and 14.9 mM−1 s−1 respectively. The conversion of D-allulose by purified enzyme (1 g L−1 ) to D-allose was 13% within 1 h. In addition, homology modeling and molecular docking were used to predict the active site residues: Asp13, Asp14, Cys72, Gly73, Thr74, Gly77, Asn106, and Lys144.

Establishment of Paclitaxel-resistant Breast Cancer Cell Line and Nude Mice Models, and Underlying Multidrug Resistance Mechanisms in Vitro and in Vivo

Chen, Si-Ying,Hu, Sa-Sa,Dong, Qian,Cai, Jiang-Xia,Zhang, Wei-Peng,Sun, Jin-Yao,Wang, Tao-Tao,Xie, Jiao,He, Hai-Rong,Xing, Jian-Feng,Lu, Jun,Dong, Ya-Lin Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.10

Background: Breast cancer is a common malignant tumor which affects health of women and multidrug resistance (MDR) is one of the main factors leading to failure of chemotherapy. This study was conducted to establish paclitaxel-resistant breast cancer cell line and nude mice models to explore underlying mechanisms of MDR. Methods: The breast cancer drug-sensitive cell line MCF-7 (MCF-7/S) was exposed in stepwise escalating paclitaxel (TAX) to induce a resistant cell line MCF-7/TAX. Cell sensitivity to drugs and growth curves were measured by MTT assay. Changes of cell morphology and ultrastructure were examined by optical and electron microscopy. The cell cycle distribution was determined by flow cytometry. Furthermore, expression of proteins related to breast cancer occurrence and MDR was tested by immunocytochemistry. In Vivo, nude mice were injected with MCF-7/S and MCF-7/TAX cells and weights and tumor sizes were observed after paclitaxel treatment. In addition, proteins involved breast cancer and MDR were detected by immunohistochemistry. Results: Compared to MCF-7/S, MCF-7/TAX cells had a higher resistance to paclitaxel, cross-resistance and prolonged doubling time. Moreover, MCF-7/TAX showed obvious alterations of ultrastructure. Estrogen receptor (ER) expression was low in drug resistant cells and tumors while expression of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) and Ki-67 was up-regulated. P-glycoprotein (P-gp), lung resistance-related protein (LRP) and glutathione-S-transferase-${\pi}$ (GST-${\pi}$) involved in the MDR phenotype of resistant cells and tumors were all overexpressed. Conclusion: The underlying MDR mechanism of breast cancer may involve increased expression of P-gp, LRP and GST-${\pi}$.

Zebrafish Dnd protein binds to 3`UTR of geminin mRNA and regulates its expression

( Shu Chen ),( Mei Zeng ),( Hua Qin Sun ),( Wen Qian Deng ),( Yi Lu Lu ),( Da Chang Tao ),( Yun Qiang Liu ),( Si Zhong Zhang ),( Yong Xin Ma ) 생화학분자생물학회 (구 한국생화학분자생물학회) 2010 BMB Reports Vol.43 No.6

Dnd (dead end) gene encodes an RNA binding protein and is specifically expressed in primordial germ cells (PGCs) as a vertebrate-specific component of the germ plasma throughout embryogenesis. By utilizing a technique of specific nucleic acids associated with proteins (SNAAP), 13 potential target mRNAs of zebrafish Dnd (ZDnd) protein were identified from 8-cell embryo, and 8 target mRNAs have been confirmed using an RT-PCR analysis. Of the target mRNAs, the present study is focused on the regulation of geminin, which is an inhibitor of DNA replication. Using electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), we demonstrated that ZDND protein bound the 67-nucleotide region from 864 to 931 in the 3`UTR of geminin mRNA, a sequence containing 60.29% of uridine. Results from a dual-luciferase assay in HEK293 cells showed that ZDND increases the translation of geminin. Taken together, the identification of target mRNA for ZDnd will be helpful to further explore the biological function of Dnd in zebrafish germ-line development as well as in cancer cells. [BMB reports 2010; 43(6): 438-444]

Bioconversion of conjugated linoleic acid by Lactobacillus plantarum CGMCC8198 supplemented with Acer truncatum bunge seeds oil

Dong-Ju Chen,Li-Hua Yan,Qian Li,Cai-jiao Zhang,Chuan-Ling Si,Zhong-Yuan Li,Ya-Jian Song,Hao Zhou,Tong-Cun Zhang,Xuegang Luo 한국식품과학회 2017 Food Science and Biotechnology Vol.26 No.6

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) isomers, c9, t11- CLA and t10, c12-CLA, have been proved to exhibit excellent biomedical properties for potential use in anticancer applications and in reducing obesity. Acer truncatum Bunge (ATB), which is rich in unsaturated fatty acids, including oleic acid, linoleic acid, and nervonic acid, is a new resource for edible oil. In the present study, we developed a new method for producing two CLA isomers from ATB-seed oil by fermentation using Lactobacillus plantarum CGMCC8198 (LP8198), a novel probiotics strain. Polymerase chain reaction results showed that there was a conserved linoleate isomerase (LIase) gene in LP8198, and its transcription could be induced by ATBseed oil. Analyses by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry showed that the concentration of c9, t11-CLA and t10, c12-CLA in ATB-seed oil could be increased by about 9- and 2.25-fold, respectively, after being fermented by LP8198.

Effect of pH Buffer and Carbon Metabolism on the Yield and Mechanical Properties of Bacterial Cellulose Produced by Komagataeibacter hansenii ATCC 53582

( Zhaofeng Li ),( Si-qian Chen ),( Xiao Cao ),( Lin Li ),( Jie Zhu ),( Hongpeng Yu ) 한국미생물생명공학회(구 한국산업미생물학회) 2021 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.31 No.3

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is widely used in the food industry for products such as nata de coco. The mechanical properties of BC hydrogels, including stiffness and viscoelasticity, are determined by the hydrated fibril network. Generally, Komagataeibacter bacteria produce gluconic acids in a glucose medium, which may affect the pH, structure and mechanical properties of BC. In this work, the effect of pH buffer on the yields of Komagataeibacter hansenii strain ATCC 53582 was studied. The bacterium in a phosphate and phthalate buffer with low ionic strength produced a good BC yield (5.16 and 4.63 g/l respectively), but there was a substantial reduction in pH due to the accumulation of gluconic acid. However, the addition of gluconic acid enhanced the polymer density and mechanical properties of BC hydrogels. The effect was similar to that of the bacteria using glycerol in another carbon metabolism circuit, which provided good pH stability and a higher conversion rate of carbon. This study may broaden the understanding of how carbon sources affect BC biosynthesis.

Fermentation Optimization and Industrialization of Recombinant Saccharopolyspora erythraea Strains for Improved Erythromycin A Production

Xiang Zou,Chang-fa Chen,Xia-chang Qi,Jiang-chao Qian,Ju Chu,Ying-ping Zhuang,Si-liang Zhang,Wei Zeng,Wan-jun Li 한국생물공학회 2010 Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering Vol.15 No.6

Improvement of Erythromycin A (Er-A) production and purity by metabolic engineering of the industrial erythromycin-producing strains Saccharopolyspora erythraea strians ZL1004 and ZL1007, in which the amounts of tailoring enzymes EryK (a P450 hydroxylase)and EryG (an S-adenosylmethionine-dependent O-methyltransferase)for biotransformation of Erythromycin D to Er-A were modulated, was performed in a 50 L fermentor. Addition of 15 g/L of corn steep liquor to the medium increased Er-A production; maximum Er-A production was 8,196 U/mL at 191 h, which was 81.8% higher than that of control (4,507 U/mL at 184 h). Er-B impurities were completely eliminated, whereas Er-C impurities were only 153 U/mL at 191 h. Analysis of intra- and extracellular metabolites and key enzyme activities in central carbon metabolism revealed that the pool of TCA cycle intermediates was enhanced by the addition of corn steep liquor and induced an increase in erythromycin biosynthesis. There were no significant differences between strains ZL1004 and ZL1007 regarding Er-A production and impurity accumulation. Compared to wild type strain,Er-A production was improved by 23.9% while Er-C was reduced by 83.9% and Er-B was completely eliminated. Furthermore, fermentation of recombinant strain ZL1004was successfully scaled up from laboratory scale (50 L fermentor) to industrial scale (25 and 132 m3), with similar levels of Er-A production and purity obtained.

Mixed-type inhibition of tyrosinase from Agaricus bisporus by terephthalic acid: computational simulations and kinetics.

Yin, Shang-Jun,Si, Yue-Xiu,Chen, Yong-Fu,Qian, Guo-Ying,L?, Zhi-Rong,Oh, Sangho,Lee, Jinhyuk,Lee, Sanghyuk,Yang, Jun-Mo,Lee, Dong-Youn,Park, Yong-Doo Kluwer Academic/Plenum 2011 The Protein Journal Vol.30 No.4

<P>Tyrosinase inhibition studies are needed due to the agricultural and medicinal applications. For probing effective inhibitors of tyrosinase, a combination of computational prediction and enzymatic assay via kinetics were important. We predicted the 3D structure of tyrosinase from Agaricus bisporus, used a docking algorithm to simulate binding between tyrosinase and terephthalic acid (TPA) and studied the reversible inhibition of tyrosinase by TPA. Simulation was successful (binding energies for Autodock4 = -1.54 and Fred2.0 = -3.19 kcal/mol), suggesting that TPA interacts with histidine residues that are known to bind with copper ions at the active site. TPA inhibited tyrosinase in a mixed-type manner with a K ( i ) = 11.01 2.12 mM. Measurements of intrinsic and ANS-binding fluorescences showed that TPA induced no changes in tertiary structure. The present study suggested that the strategy of predicting tyrosinase inhibition based on hydroxyl groups and orientation may prove useful for screening of potential tyrosinase inhibitors.</P>

Up-regulating of RASD1 and Apoptosis of DU-145 Human Prostate Cancer Cells Induced by Formononetin in Vitro

Liu, Xiao-Jia,Li, Yun-Qian,Chen, Qiu-Yue,Xiao, Sheng-Jun,Zeng, Si-En Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.6

Prostate cancer is one of the most prevalent malignant cancers in men. The isoflavone formononetin is a main active component of red clover plants. In the present study, we assessed the effect of formononetin on human prostate cancer DU-145 cells in vitro, and elucidated posssible mechanisms. DU-145 cells were treated with different concentrations of formononetin and cell proliferation was assessed by MTT assay, cell apoptosis by Hoechst 33258 and flow cytometry, and protein levels of RASD1, Bcl-2 and Bax by Western blotting. The results showed that formononetin inhibited the proliferation of DU-145 cells in a dose-dependent manner. DU-145 cells treated with different concentrations of formononetin displayed obvious morphological changes of apoptosis under fluorescence microscopy. In addition, formononetin increased the proportion of early apoptotic DU-145 cells, down-regulated the protein levels of Bcl-2 and up-regulated those of RASD1 and Bax. The level of RASD1 reached its maximum at 48h post-treatment, and rapidly decreased thereafter. Together, we present evidence that formononetin triggered cell apoptosis through the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway by up-regulating RASD1.