Geft is dispensable for the development of the second heart field

( Xiong Wei Fan ),( Ning Hou ),( Kai Ji Fan ),( Jia Jia Yuan ),( Xiao Yang Mo ),( Yun Deng ),( Yong Qi Wan ),( Yan Teng ),( Xiao Yang ),( Xius Han Wu ) 생화학분자생물학회 (구 한국생화학분자생물학회) 2012 BMB Reports Vol.45 No.3

Geft is a guanine nucleotide exchange factor, which can specifically activate Rho family of small GTPase by catalyzing the exchange of bound GDP for GTP. Geft is highly expressed in the excitable tissue as heart and skeletal muscle and plays important roles in many cellular processes, such as cell proliferation, migration, and cell fate decision. However, the in vivo role of Geft remains unknown. Here, we generated a Geft conditional knockout mouse by flanking exons 5-17 of Geft with loxP sites. Cre-mediated deletion of the Geft gene in heart using Mef2c-Cre transgenic mice resulted in a dramatic decrease of Geft expression. Geft knockout mice develop normally and exhibit no discernable phenotype, suggesting Geft is dispensable for the development of the second heart field in mouse. The Geft conditional knockout mouse will be a valuable genetic tool for uncovering the in vivo roles of Geft during development and in adult homeostasis. (BMB reports 2012; 45(3): 153-158)

Cloning and characterization of the cardiac-specific Lrrc10 promoter

( Xiong Wei Fan ),( Qing Yang ),( You Liang Wang ),( Yan Zhang ),( Jian Wang ),( Jia Jia Yuan ),( Yong Qing Li ),( Yue Qun Wang ),( Yun Deng ),( Wu Zhou Yuan ),( Xiao Yang Mo ),( Yong Qi Wan ),( Karen 생화학분자생물학회(구 한국생화학분자생물학회) 2011 BMB Reports Vol.44 No.2

Leucine-rich repeat containing protein 10 (LRRC10) is characterized as a cardiac-specific gene, suggesting a role in heart development and disease. A severe cardiac morphogenic defect in zebrafish morphants was recently reported but a contradictory result was found in mice, suggesting a more complicated molecular mechanism exists during mouse embryonic development. To elucidate how LRRC10 is regulated, we analyzed the 5`enhancer region approximately 3 kilo bases (kb) upstream of the Lrrc10 start site using luciferase reporter gene assays. Our characterization of the Lrrc10 promoter indicates it possesses complicated cis-and trans-acting elements. We show that GATA4 and MEF2C could both increase transcriptional activity of Lrrc10 promoter individually but that they do not act synergistically, suggesting that there exists a more complex regulation pattern. Surprisingly, knockout of Gata4 and Mef2c binding sites in the 5`enhancer region (-2,894/-2,889) didn`t change the transcriptional activity of the Lrrc10 promoter and the likely GATA4 binding site identified was located in a region only 100 base pair (bp) upstream of the promoter. Our data provides insight into the molecular regulation of Lrrc10 expression, which probably also contributes to its tissue-specific expression. [BMB reports 2011; 44(2): 123-128]

Psychopathological Profile of Women with Breast Cancer Based on the Symptom Checklist-90-R

Pan, Xiong-Fei,Fei, Man-Dong,Zhang, Kenneth Y.,Fan, Zhen-Lie,Fu, Feng-Huan,Fan, Jin-Hu Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.11

Background: With effective early treatments, many breast cancer patients suffer from psychological distress due to adverse effects and lifelong physical disfigurement. Our study aimed to evaluate the psychopathological profile of breast cancer patients in comparison with healthy women and explored demographic correlates. Method: We consecutively enrolled breast cancer patients who came to the hospital for follow-up or rehabilitation care after primary treatment, and healthy female relatives or friends of inpatients in the Cancer Institute of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences between August 30, 2010 and January 1, 2012. Psychopathological profile was assessed based on the Symptom Checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R) for patients and controls. We compared demographics such as age, ethnicity, education, marriage, and occupation, and incorporated these data plus cancer status for the association with the general SCL-90-R index and scores for 9 major symptom dimensions in multiple regression analysis. Results: We surveyed a total of 291 female breast cancer patients and 531 healthy women. The average age was $55.1{\pm}6.40$ years for breast cancer patients and $43.1{\pm}12.8$ for healthy controls (P<0.01). The mean survival was 5.20 years for cancer patients (range, 0.60-9.90 years). There were statistically significant differences in education, marriage, and occupation between the two groups (P<0.01). General index ($1.45{\pm}0.45$ versus $1.32{\pm}0.37$) and 8 dimension scores (excluding anxiety) on SCL-90-R were significantly higher in patients (P<0.05). Multiple regression analysis showed that the breast cancer status was positively correlated with general SCL-90-R index and 6 dimension scores (excluding the anxiety, phobic anxiety and paranoid ideation dimensions) (P<0.05). Regression coefficients ranged from 0.10 (depression) to 0.19 (somatization). Higher interpersonal sensitivity was noticed in single women compared to married women. Conclusions: Chinese patients with breast cancer demonstrate greater psychopathology compared to healthy controls. The breast cancer status is an independent contributing factor to the general psychopathological profile. Breast cancer patients should be given particular counseling and care to alleviate their psychological distress.

Individual-breed Assignment Analysis in Swine Populations by Using Microsatellite Markers

Fan, B.,Chen, Y.Z.,Moran, C.,Zhao, S.H,Liu, B.,Yu, M.,Zhu, M.J.,Xiong, T.A.,Li, K. Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2005 Animal Bioscience Vol.18 No.11

Individual-breed assignments were implemented in six swine populations using twenty six microsatellites recommended by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the International Society for Animal Genetics (FAO-ISAG). Most microsatellites exhibited high polymorphisms as shown by the number of alleles and the polymorphism information content. The assignment accuracy per locus obtained by using the Bayesian method ranged from 33.33% (CGA) to 68.47% (S0068), and the accumulated assignment accuracy of the top ten loci combination added up to 96.40%. The assignment power of microsatellites based on the Bayesian method had positive correlations with the number of alleles and the gene differential coefficient ($G_{st}$) per locus, while it has no relationship to genetic heterozygosity, polymorphism information content per locus and the exclusion probabilities under case II and case III. The percentage of corrected assignment was highest for the Bayesian method, followed by the gene frequency and distancebased methods. The assignment efficiency of microsatellites rose with increase in the number of loci used, and it can reach 98% when using a ten-locus combination. This indicated that such a set of ten microsatellites is sufficient for breed verification purposes.

Two-Dimensional Unilamellar Cation-Deficient Metal Oxide Nanosheet Superlattices for High-Rate Sodium Ion Energy Storage

Xiong, Pan,Zhang, Xiuyun,Zhang, Fan,Yi, Ding,Zhang, Jinqiang,Sun, Bing,Tian, Huajun,Shanmukaraj, Devaraj,Rojo, Teofilo,Armand, Michel,Ma, Renzhi,Sasaki, Takayoshi,Wang, Guoxiu American Chemical Society 2018 ACS NANO Vol.12 No.12

<P>Cation-deficient two-dimensional (2D) materials, especially atomically thin nanosheets, are highly promising electrode materials for electrochemical energy storage that undergo metal ion insertion reactions, yet they have rarely been achieved thus far. Here, we report a Ti-deficient 2D unilamellar lepidocrocite-type titanium oxide (Ti<SUB>0.87</SUB>O<SUB>2</SUB>) nanosheet superlattice for sodium storage. The superlattice composed of alternately restacked defective Ti<SUB>0.87</SUB>O<SUB>2</SUB> and nitrogen-doped graphene monolayers exhibits an outstanding capacity of ∼490 mA h g<SUP>-1</SUP> at 0.1 A g<SUP>-1</SUP>, an ultralong cycle life of more than 10000 cycles with ∼0.00058% capacity decay per cycle, and especially superior low-temperature performance (100 mA h g<SUP>-1</SUP> at 12.8 A g<SUP>-1</SUP> and −5 °C), presenting the best reported performance to date. A reversible Na<SUP>+</SUP> ion intercalation mechanism without phase and structural change is verified by first-principles calculations and kinetics analysis. These results herald a promising strategy to utilize defective 2D materials for advanced energy storage applications.</P> [FIG OMISSION]</BR>

MiR-1246 Promotes Metastasis and Invasion of A549 Cells by Targeting GSK-3β–Mediated Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway

Fan Yang,Hairong Xiong,Li Duan,Qian Li,Xin Li,Yongqin Zhou 대한암학회 2019 Cancer Research and Treatment Vol.51 No.4

Purpose MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a group of small non-coding RNAs involved in different cancers, including lung cancer. Here, we aim to investigate the expression profiles of circulating miRNAs and their roles contributed to the progress of lung cancer. Materials and Methods The levels of circulating miRNA in lung cancer patients were investigated by miRNAs assay. Then we predicted the target genes of aberrantly expressing miRNAs by searching genetic databases. Based on the A549 cells transfected with miR-1246 mimics or miR-1246 inhibitor, we further measured the roles of miR-1246 involving in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), migration and invasion capacities of lung cancer cells in vitro. Finally, we detected the effects of miR-1246 on glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β)/β-catenin pathway by immunofluorescence and Western blot, respectively. Results We identified that 14 miRNAs were aberrantly expressed in the serum of lung cancer patients. Among them, miR-1246 was the most up-regulated. The cell assays indicated that miR-1246 significantly increased the migration and invasion capabilities of A549 lung cancer cells. Meanwhile, immunofluorescence analysis revealed that miR-1246 promoted EMT process of A549 cells accompanying with decreasing E-cadherin expression, while increasing vimentin and transforming growth factor β expression. Furthermore, an online tool predicated that miR-1246 might bind to 3'-untranslated region of GSK-3β, which was confirmed by overexpression and knockdown of miR-1246 assays. Conclusion Taken together, the study illustrates that miR-1246 regulates Wnt/β-catenin pathway through targeting GSK-3β/β-catenin, which partly contributing to tumor metastasis. MiR- 1246 may play an essential role in the diagnosis and therapeutic of lung cancer.

The Monocot-Specific Receptor-like Kinase SDS2 Controls Cell Death and Immunity in Rice

Fan, Jiangbo,Bai, Pengfei,Ning, Yuese,Wang, Jiyang,Shi, Xuetao,Xiong, Yehui,Zhang, Kai,He, Feng,Zhang, Chongyang,Wang, Ruyi,Meng, Xiangzong,Zhou, Jinggeng,Wang, Mo,Shirsekar, Gautam,Park, Chan Ho,Bell Elsevier 2018 Cell host & microbe Vol.23 No.4

<P><B>Summary</B></P> <P>Programmed cell death (PCD) plays critical roles in plant immunity but must be regulated to prevent excessive damage. The E3 ubiquitin ligase SPL11 negatively regulates PCD and immunity in plants. We show that <I>S</I>PL11 cell-<I>d</I>eath <I>s</I>uppressor <I>2</I> (SDS2), an S-domain receptor-like kinase, positively regulates PCD and immunity in rice by engaging and regulating SPL11 and related kinases controlling defense responses. An <I>sds2</I> mutant shows reduced immune responses and enhanced susceptibility to the blast fungus <I>Magnaporthe oryzae</I>. Conversely, <I>SDS2</I> over-expression induces constitutive PCD accompanied by elevated immune responses and enhanced resistance to <I>M. oryzae</I>. SDS2 interacts with and phosphorylates SPL11, which in turn ubiquitinates SDS2, leading to its degradation. In addition, SDS2 interacts with related receptor-like cytoplasmic kinases, OsRLCK118/176, that positively regulate immunity by phosphorylating the NADPH oxidase OsRbohB to stimulate ROS production. Thus, a plasma membrane-resident protein complex consisting of SDS2, SPL11, and OsRLCK118/176 controls PCD and immunity in rice.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> The RLK SDS2 positively regulates plant cell death and immunity in rice </LI> <LI> SDS2 phosphorylates E3 ligase SPL11, which in turn ubiquitinates SDS2 for degradation </LI> <LI> SDS2 phosphorylates receptor-like cytoplasmic kinases RLCK118 </LI> <LI> RLCK118 interacts with and phosphorylates the NADPH oxidase OsRbohB </LI> </UL> </P> <P><B>Graphical Abstract</B></P> <P>[DISPLAY OMISSION]</P>

Isolation, Characterization, and Molecular Cloning of the cDNA Encoding a Novel Phytase from Aspergillus niger 113 and High Expression in Pichia pastoris

Xiong, Ai Sheng,Yao, Quan-Hong,Peng, Ri-He,Li, Xian,Fan, Hui-Qin,Guo, Mei-Jin,Zhang, Si-Liang Korean Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biol 2004 Journal of biochemistry and molecular biology Vol.37 No.3

Phytases catalyze the release of phosphate from phytic acid. Phytase-producing microorganisms were selected by culturing the soil extracts on agar plates containing phytic acid. Two hundred colonies that exhibited potential phytase activity were selected for further study. The colony showing the highest phytase activity was identified as Aspergillus niger and designated strain 113. The phytase gene from A. niger 113 (phyI1) was isolated, cloned, and characterized. The nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequence identity between phyI1 and phyA from NRRL3135 were 90% and 98%, respectively. The identity between phyI1 and phyA from SK-57 was 89% and 96%. A synthetic phytase gene, phyI1s, was synthesized by successive PCR and transformed into the yeast expression vector carrying a signal peptide that was designed and synthesized using P. pastoris biased codon. For the phytase expression and secretion, the construct was integrated into the genome of P. pastoris by homologous recombination. Over-expressing strains were selected and fermented. It was discovered that ~4.2 g phytase could be purified from one liter of culture fluid. The activity of the resulting phytase was 9.5 U/mg. Due to the heavy glycosylation, the expressed phytase varied in size (120, 95, 85, and 64 kDa), but could be deglycosylated to a homogeneous 64 kDa species. An enzymatic kinetics analysis showed that the phytase had two pH optima (pH 2.0 and pH 5.0) and an optimum temperature of $60^{\circ}C$.

Optimal aerodynamic design of hypersonic inlets by using streamline-tracing techniques

Xiong, Bing,Ferlauto, Michele,Fan, Xiaoqiang Techno-Press 2020 Advances in aircraft and spacecraft science Vol.7 No.5

Rectangular-to-Ellipse Shape Transition (REST) inlets are a class of inward turning inlets designed for hypersonic flight. The aerodynamic design of REST inlets involves very complex flows and shock-wave patterns. These inlets are used in highly integrated propulsive systems. Often the design of these inlets may require many geometrical constraints at different cross-section. In present work a design approach for hypersonic inward-turning inlets, adapted for REST inlets, is coupled with a multi-objective optimization procedure. The automated procedure iterates on the parametric representation and on the numerical solution of a base flow from which the REST inlet is generated by using streamline tracing and shape transition algorithms. The typical design problem of optimizing the total pressure recovery and mass flow capture of the inlet is solved by the proposed procedure. The accuracy of the optimal solutions found is discussed and the performances of the designed REST inlets are investigated by means of fully 3-D Euler and 3-D RANS analyses.

Comparative Effectiveness of Risk-adapted Surveillance vs Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection in Clinical Stage I Nonseminomatous Germ Cell Testicular Cancer: A Retrospective Follow-up Study of 81 Patients

Fan, Gang,Zhang, Lin,Yi, Lu,Jiang, Zhi-Qiang,Ke, Yang,Wang, Xiao-Shan,Xiong, Ying-Ying,Han, Wei-Qin,Zhou, Xiao,Liu, Chun,Yu, Xie Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.8

Purpose: To retrospective assess the potential predictors for relapse and create an effective clinical mode for surveillance after orchidectomy in clinical stage I non-seminomatous germ cell testicular tumors (CSI-NSGCTs). Materials and Methods: We analyzed data for CSI-NSGCTs patients with non-lymphatic vascular invasion, %ECa < 50% (percentage of embryonal carcinoma < 50%), and negative or declining tumor markers to their half-life following orchidectomy (defined as low-risk patients); these patients were recruited from four Chinese centers between January 1999 and October 2013. Patients were divided into active surveillance group and retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) group according to different therapeutic methods after radical orchidectomy was performed. The disease-free survival rates (DFSR) and overall survival rates (OSR) of the two groups were compared by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results: A total of 121 patients with CSI-NSGCT were collected from four centers, and 81 low-risk patients, including 54 with active surveillance and 27 with RPLND, were enrolled at last. The median follow-up duration was 66.2 (range 6-164) months in the RPLND group and 65.9 (range 8-179) months in the surveillance group. OSR was 100% in active surveillance and RPLND groups, and DFSR was 89.8% and 87.0%, respectively. No significant difference was observed between these two groups ($X_2=0.108$, P=0.743). No significant difference was observed between the patients with a low percentage of embryonal carcinoma (<50%) and those without embryonal carcinoma (87.0% and 91.9%, $X_2=0.154$, P=0.645). No treatment-related complications were observed in the active surveillance group whereas minor and major complications were observed in 13.0% and 26.1% of the RPLND group, respectively. Conclusions: Active surveillance resulted in similar DFSR and OSR compared with RPLND in our trial. Patients with low-risk CSI-NSGCTs could benefit from risk-adapted surveillance after these patients were subjected to radical orchidectomy.