FSCB phosphorylation in mouse spermatozoa capacitation

( Shun Li Liu ),( Bing Ni ),( Xiang Wei Wang ),( Wen Qian Huo ),( Jun Zhang ),( Zhi Qiang Tian ),( Ze Min Huang ),( Yi Tian ),( Jun Tang ),( Yan Hua Zheng ),( Feng Shuo Jin ),( Yan Feng Li ) 생화학분자생물학회(구 한국생화학분자생물학회) 2011 BMB Reports Vol.44 No.8

It is generally accepted that spermatozoa capacitation is associated with protein kinase A-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation. In our previous study, we identified the fibrous sheath CABYR binding protein (FSCB), which was phosphorylated by PKA. However, the phosphorylation status of FSCB protein during spermatozoa capacitation should be further investigated. To this aim, in this study, we found that phosphorylation of this 270-kDa protein occurred as early as 1 min after mouse spermatozoa capacitation, which increased over time and remained stable after 60 min. Immunoprecipitation assays demonstrated that the tyrosine and Ser/Thr phosphorylation of FSCB occurred during spermatozoa capacitation. The extent of phosphorylation and was closely associated with the PKA activity and spermatozoa motility characteristics. FSCB phosphorylation could be induced by PKA agonist DB-cAMP, but was blocked by PKA antagonist H-89.Therefore, FSCB contributes to spermatozoa capacitation in a tyrosine-phosphorylated format, which may help in further elucidating the molecular mechanism of spermatozoa capacitation. [BMB reports 2011; 44(8): 541-546]

Clinical Character of Pediatric Head and Neck Rhabdomysarcomas: A 7-Year Retrospective Study

Zhang, Wei-Ling,Zhang, Yi,Huang, Dong-Sheng,Guo, Fang,Han, Tao,Hong, Liang,Hu, Hui-Min,Zhi, Tian Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.7

Objective: The rhabdomysarcoma (RMS) is most common soft tissue carcinoma in children, mostly found in the head and neck with high degree of malignancy. The current study aimed to summarize clinical data and evaluate treatment outcome of cases in a single hospital. Methods: Forty-one (24 male, 17 female) children with newly diagnosed RMS in Beijing Tong Ren Hospital were enrolled between November, 2004 and May, 2011. The. Students' t and Chi tests were then performed on retrospectively reviewed clinical data, followed by survival analysis based on the Kaplan Meier method using SPSS 17.0 software. Results: Of all cases, 32 were treated by common chemotherapy, and 3 cases with stage III RMS received high-dose chemotherapy and auto-peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (APBSCT). Side-effects in the former were: I grade for 62.5% (20/32), II grade for 28.1% (9/32), III grade account for 9.275% (3/32). Side-effects of 3 cases with APBSCT: 2 were I grade, 1 was III grade. The median follow-up time of 41 RMS cases was 41 months. Four cases were lost to follow-up, 7 cases recurred, and 5 cases died of cerebral metastasis, witha total survival rate was 86.5% (32/37). CR rate was 67.6% (25/37), PR was 18.9% (7/37). Conclusion: Multidiscipline treatment including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery and auto-PBSCT is highly recommended for pediatric patients with head and neck RMS.

Clinical Efficacy and Prognosis Factors for Advanced Hepatoblastoma in Children: A 6-year Retrospective Study

Zhang, Yi,Zhang, Wei-Ling,Huang, Dong-Sheng,Hong, Liang,Wang, Yi-Zhuo,Zhu, Xia,Hu, Hui-Min,Zhang, Pin-Wei,Yi, You,Han, Tao Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.8

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effect of multimodality treatment of advanced paediatric hepatoblastoma (HB) and the factors affecting prognosis. Methods: A total of 35 children underwent multimodality treatments consisting of chemotherapy, surgery, interventional therapy, and autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. The patients were followed up every month. Results: Serum AFP levels in 33 out of 35 patients in this study were significantly increased (P = 0.0002). According to the statistical scatter plot, the values of serum AFP on the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentages were 1,210, 1,210 and 28,318 ng/dl, respectively. Of the 35 cases, 21 were stage IV. 18 cases were treated with systemic chemotherapy before surgery, and 3 cases with locally interventional chemotherapy before surgery. Statistical analysis showed that the preferred interventional treatment affected prognosis, and that there was a statistically significant difference (P = 0.024). Some 33 patients completed the follow-up, of which 17 were in complete remission (CR), 5 were in partial remission (PR), 1 became disease progressive (DP), and 10 died. The remission and overall survival rates were 66.7% (22/33) and 69.7% (23/33), respectively. Patients with the mixed HB phenotypes had worse prognoses than the epithelial phenotype (P < 0.001), and patients in stage IV had a lower survival rate than those in stage III (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Multimodality treatment can effectively improve remission rate and prolong the survival of children with advanced HB. In addition, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), a tumor marker of liver malignant tumors, HB pathological classification, and staging are highly useful in predicting prognosis.

Direct Electrochemistry and Photoelectro-Catalysis on Oxygen Reduction Reaction of Titanium Dioxide Nano-Tubes Sensitized by Meso-Tetrakis (4-carboxyphenyl) Porphine with Laccase Accommodation

Min Zhang,Mi Zhang,Shu Wei Zhang,Han Zeng 한국고분자학회 2021 Macromolecular Research Vol.29 No.1

TiO2 functionalized by meso-tetrakis (4-carboxyphenyl) porphine was proposed as an enzyme supporter. Laccase molecules were firmly anchored onto the interface of the nanocomplex via the synergy of multiple mutual interactions, including covalent bonding and the adjacent coordination between the enzyme matrix and protein molecules. Morphology, structural features, surface chemistry, and physiochemical properties of the nanocomposite with Laccase tethering were characterized and explored with a variety of techniques such as: microscopy, spectrometry, electrochemistry, etc. The electro-chemical behavior and photoelectrocatalytic function on oxygen reduction reactions were also evaluated. Results from the investigations indicated that interactions between components of the protein carrier and incorporated Laccase molecules would result in partial orderly distribution of Laccase onto the surface of the nanocomplex with an augmentation in the content of hydrophobic α-helix. Such interactions would alter the original mechanism of the electron shuttle in both native Laccase and the Laccase cofactor in that the Laccase T1 site would play the role of inner electron relay. The electro-active site in TiO2 acted as the primary electron acceptor and would dominate the dynamics in charge of transportation. The adjoining ligation between the Lac and porphine derivative would improve the visible irradiation efficiency and catalytic efficacy in the electro-reduction/photo-electrochemical reduction of dissolved O2 to some extent.

Genomic analysis reveals selection signatures of the Wannan Black pig during domestication and breeding

Zhang, Wei,Yang, Min,Wang, Yuanlang,Wu, Xudong,Zhang, Xiaodong,Ding, Yueyun,Yin, Zongjun Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2020 Animal Bioscience Vol.33 No.5

Objective: The Wannan Black pig is a typical Chinese indigenous, disease-resistant pig breed with high fertility, and a crude-feed tolerance that has been bred by artificial selection in the south of Anhui province for a long time. However, genome variation, genetic relationships with other pig breeds, and domestication, remain poorly understood. Here, we focus on elucidating the genetic characteristics of the Wannan Black pig and identifying selection signatures during domestication and breeding. Methods: We identified the whole-genome variation in the Wannan Black pig and performed population admixture analyses to determine genetic relationships with other domesticated pig breeds and wild boars. Then, we identified the selection signatures between the Wannan Black pig and Asian wild boars in 100-kb windows sliding in 10 kb steps by using two approaches: the fixation index (F_ST) and π ratios. Results: Resequencing the Wannan Black pig genome yielded 501.52 G of raw data. After calling single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) and insertions/deletions (InDels), we identified 21,316,754 SNVs and 5,067,206 InDels (2,898,582 inserts and 2,168,624 deletions). Additionally, we found genes associated with growth, immunity, and digestive functions. Conclusion: Our findings help in explaining the unique genetic and phenotypic characteristics of Wannan Black pigs, which in turn can be informative for future breeding programs of Wannan Black pigs.

The Site-Directed A184S Mutation in the HTH Domain of the Global Regulator IrrE Enhances Deinococcus radiodurans R1 Tolerance to UV Radiation and MMC Shock

( Chen Zhang ),( Zhengfu Zhou ),( Wei Zhang ),( Zhen Chen ),( Yuan Song ),( Wei Lu ),( Min Lin ),( Ming Chen ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2015 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.25 No.12

IrrE is a highly conserved global regulator in the Deinococcus genus and contributes to survival from high doses of UV radiation, ionizing radiation, and desiccation. Drad-IrrE and Dgob-IrrE from Deinococcus radiodurans and Deinococcus gobiensis I-0 each share 66% sequence identity. However, Dgob-IrrE showed a stronger protection phenotype against UV radiation than Drad-IrrE in the D. radiodurans irrE-deletion mutant (ΔirrE), which may be due to amino acid residues differences around the DNA-binding HTH domain. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to generate a Drad-IrrE A184S single mutant, which has been characterized and compared with the ΔirrE mutant complemented strain with Drad-irrE, designated ΔirrE-E. The effects of the A184S mutation following UV radiation and mitomycin C (MMC) shock were determined. The A184S mutant displayed significantly increased resistance to UV radiation and MMC shock. The corresponding A184 site in Dgob-IrrE was inversely mutated, generating the S131A mutant, which exhibited a loss of resistance against UV radiation, MMC shock, and desiccation. qPCR analysis revealed that critical genes in the DNA repair system, such as recA, pprA, uvrA, and ddrB, were remarkably induced after UV radiation and MMC shock in the ΔirrE-IE and A184S mutants. These data suggested that A184S improves the ability against UV radiation and MMC shock, providing new insights into the modification of IrrE. We speculated that the serine residue may determine the efficiency of DNA binding, leading to the increased expression of IrrE-dependent genes important for protection against DNA damage.

Genome-wide identification and analysis of long noncoding RNAs in longissimus muscle tissue from Kazakh cattle and Xinjiang brown cattle

Yan, Xiang-Min,Zhang, Zhe,Liu, Jian-Bo,Li, Na,Yang, Guang-Wei,Luo, Dan,Zhang, Yang,Yuan, Bao,Jiang, Hao,Zhang, Jia-Bao Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2021 Animal Bioscience Vol.34 No.11

Objective: In recent years, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been identified in many species, and some of them have been shown to play important roles in muscle development and myogenesis. However, the differences in lncRNAs between Kazakh cattle and Xinjiang brown cattle remain undefined; therefore, we aimed to confirm whether lncRNAs are differentially expressed in the longissimus dorsi between these two types of cattle and whether differentially expressed lncRNAs regulate muscle differentiation. Methods: We used RNA-seq technology to identify lncRNAs in longissimus muscles from these cattle. The expression of lncRNAs were analyzed using StringTie (1.3.1) in terms of the fragments per kilobase of transcript per million mapped reads values of the encoding genes. The differential expression of the transcripts in the two samples were analyzed using the DESeq R software package. The resulting false discovery rate was controlled by the Benjamini and Hochberg's approach. KOBAS software was utilized to measure the expression of different genes in Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathways. We randomly selected eight lncRNA genes and validated them by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Results: We found that 182 lncRNA transcripts, including 102 upregulated and 80 downregulated transcripts, were differentially expressed between Kazakh cattle and Xinjiang brown cattle. The results of RT-qPCR were consistent with the sequencing results. Enrichment analysis and functional annotation of the target genes revealed that the differentially expressed lncRNAs were associated with the mitogen-activated protein kinase, Ras, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3k)/Akt signaling pathways. We also constructed a lncRNA/mRNA coexpression network for the PI3k/Akt signaling pathway. Conclusion: Our study provides insights into cattle muscle-associated lncRNAs and will contribute to a more thorough understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying muscle growth and development in cattle.

Relationships of uPA and VEGF Expression in Esophageal Cancer and Microvascular Density with Tumorous Invasion and Metastasis

Jiang, Jian-Tao,Zhang, Lan-Fang,Zhou, Bin,Zhang, Shun-Qun,Li, Shao-Min,Zhang, Wei,Zhang, Jin,Qiao, Zhe,Kong, Ran-Ran,Ma, Yue-Feng,Chen, Sheng Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.7

Objective: To investigate uPA and VEGF expression in esophageal cancer and relations with tumorous invasion and metastasis. Methods: Immunohistochemistry was used to detect uPA and VEGF expression in the normal epithelial tissue of esophageal mucosa and cancer tissue and detect CD34 labeled micrangium and analyze the relationships with clinical pathological features and tumor angiogenesis. Results: Positive rates for uPA and VEGF protein expression were significantly greater in esophageal cancer than normal epithelial tissue (P < 0.05), the two being linked (P <0.05). In addition, uPA and VEGF protein expression of the high microvessel density (MVD) group was significantly lower than in the low MVD group (P < 0.05), with relation to clinical pathological staging, differentiation and lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05). Conclusion: In esophageal cancer tissue, uPA and VEGF proteins are overexpressed and promote tumor angiogenesis, indicative of a poor prognosis.

Analysis of Cancer Incidence in Zhejiang Cancer Registry in China during 2000 to 2009

Du, Ling-Bin,Li, Hui-Zhang,Wang, Xiang-Hui,Zhu, Chen,Liu, Qing-Min,Li, Qi-Long,Li, Xue-Qin,Shen, Yong-Zhou,Zhang, Xin-Pei,Ying, Jiang-Wei,Yu, Chuan-Ding,Mao, Wei-Min Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.14

Objective: The Zhejiang Provincial Cancer Prevention and Control Office collected cancer registration data during 2000 to 2009 from 6 cancer registries in Zhejiang province of China in order to analyze the cancer incidence. Methods: Descriptive analysis included cancer incidence stratified by sex, age and cancer site group. The proportions and cumulative rates of 10 common cancers in different groups were also calculated. Chinese population census in 1982 and Segi's population were used for calculating age-standardized incidence rates. The log-linear model was used for fitting to calculate the incidence trends. Results: The 6 cancer registries in Zhejiang province in China covered a total of 60,087,888 person-years during 2000 to 2009 (males 30,445,904, females 29,641,984). The total number of new cancer cases were 163,104 (males 92,982, females 70,122). The morphology verified cases accounted for 69.7%, and the new cases verified only by information from death certification accounted for 1.23%. The crude incidence rate in Zhejiang cancer registration areas was $271.5/10^5$ during 2000 to 2009 (male $305.41/10^5$, female $236.58/10^5$), age-standardized incidence rates by Chinese standard population (ASIRC) and by world standard population (ASIRW) were $147.1/10^5$ and $188.2/10^5$, the cumulative incidence rate (aged from 0 to 74) being 21.7%. The crude incidence rate was $209.6/10^5$ in 2000, and it increased to $320.20/10^5$ in 2009 (52.8%), with an annual percent change (APC) of 4.51% (95% confidence interval, 3.25%-5.79%). Age-specific incidence rate of 80-84 age group was achieved at the highest point of the incidence curve. Overall with different age groups, the cancer incidences differed, the incidence of liver cancer being highest in 15-44 age group in males; the incidence of breast cancer was the highest in 15-64 age group in females; the incidences of lung cancer were the highest in both males and females over the age of 65 years. Conclusions: Lung cancer, digestive system malignancies and breast cancer are the most common cancers in Zhejiang province in China requiring an especial focus. The incidences of thyroid cancer, prostate cancer, cervical cancer and lymphoma have increased rapidly. Prevention and control measures should be implemented for these cancers.

G1/S-specific Cyclin-D1 Might be a Prognostic Biomarker for Patients with Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Zhang, Ying-Yao,Xu, Zhi-Na,Wang, Jun-Xi,Wei, Dong-Min,Pan, Xin-Liang Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.5

Objective: To investigate the prognostic role of antigen KI-67 (Ki-67) and G1/S-specific cyclin-D1 (cyclin-D1) in patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). Methods: Immunohistochemical staining (IHS) was used to determine the protein expression of Ki-67 and cyclin-D1 in LSCC tissues. Kaplan-Meier survival curves was calculated with reference to Ki-67 and cyclin-D1 levels. Results: Cyclin-D1 and Ki67 were expressed in the nuclei of cancer cells. Among the total of 92 cancer tissues examined by immunohistochemistry, 60 (65.22%) had cyclin-D1 overexpression and 56 (60.87%) had Ki67 overexpression. Cyclin-D1 overexpression is associated with the advanced stage of the cancer (P=0.029), but not with gender, age, stage of cancer, histological differentiation, anatomical site, smoking history and alcohol consumption history. Ki67 overexpression is not associated with the advanced stage, gender, age, histological differentiation, anatomical site, smoking history and alcohol consumption history. A statistically significant correlation was found between lymph node status and the expression of Ki67 (p = 0.025). Overexpression of cyclin-D1 was correlated to shorter relapse-free survival period (P<0.001). Conclusions: Overexpression of cyclin-D1 can be used as a marker to predict relapse in patients with LSCC after primary curative resection.