Food Microbiology and Biotechnology : Gene Cloning and Characterization of an α-Amylase from Alteromonas macleodii B7 for Enteromorpha Polysaccharide Degradation

( Xue Feng Han ),( Bo Kun Lin ),( Gan Ji Ru ),( Zhi Biao Zhang ),( Yan Liu ),( Zhong Hu ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2014 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.24 No.2

Enteromorpha polysaccharides (EP) extracted from green algae have displayed a wide variety of biological activities. However, their high molecular weight leads to a high viscosity and low solubility, and therefore, greatly restrains their application. To solve this problem, bacteria from the surface of Enteromorpha were screened, and an Alteromonas macleodii strain B7 was found to be able to decrease the molecular weight of EP in culture media. Proteins harvested from the supernatant of the A. macleodii B7 culture were subjected to native gel electrophoresis, and a band corresponding to the Enteromorpha polysaccharide lyase (EPL) was detected by activity staining. The enzyme identity was subsequently confirmed by MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometry as the putative α-amylase reported in A. macleodii ATCC 27126. The amylase gene (amySTU) from A. macleodii B7 was cloned into Escherichia coli, resulting in highlevel expression of the recombinant enzyme with EP-degrading activity. AmySTU was found to be cold-adapted; however, its optimal enzyme activity was detected at 40oC. The α-amylase was highly stable over a broad pH range (5.5-10) with the optimal pH at 7.5-8.0. The highest enzyme activity was detected when NaCl concentration was 2%, which dropped by 50% when the NaCl concentration was increased to 16%, showing an excellent nature of halotolerance. Furthermore, the amylase activity was not significantly affected by tested surfactants or the presence of some organic solvents. Therefore, the A. macleodii strain B7 and its α-amylase can be useful in lowering EP molecular weight and in starch processing.

MUTYH Association with Esophageal Adenocarcinoma in a Han Chinese Population

Kong, Feng,Han, Xue-Ying,Luan, Yun,Qi, Tong-Gang,Sun, Chao,Wang, Jue,Hou, Hua-Ying,Jiang, Yu-Hua,Zhao, Jing-Jie,Cheng, Guang-Hui Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.11

Adenocarcinoma of esophagus (AE) is a complex disease, affected by a variety of genetic and environmental factors. Much evidence has shown that the MutY glycosylase homologue (MUTYH) plays a key role in the pathogenesis of many cancers. However, there have been no reports on influence on AE in the Han Chinese population. The objective of this study was to investigate this issue. A gene-based association study was conducted using three single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs) reported in previous studies. The three SNPs (rs3219463, rs3219472, rs3219489) were genotyped in 207 unrelated AE patients and 249 healthy controls in a case-control study using polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). The results revealed that the genotype distribution of rs3219472 differed between the case and control groups (OR=1.66,95%CI=1.11-2.48, P=0.012), indicating that an association may exist between MUTYH and AE. These findings support a signifcant role for MUTYH in AE pathogenesis in the Han Chinese population.

Patterns of Failure and Survival Trends in 3,808 Patients with Stage II Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosed from 1990 to 2012: A Large-Scale Retrospective Cohort Study

Xue-Song Sun,Di-Han Liu,Sai-Lan Liu,Qiu-Yan Chen,Shan-Shan Guo,Yue-Feng Wen,Li-Ting Liu,Hao-Jun Xie,Qing-Nan Tang,Yu-Jing Liang,Xiao-Yun Li,Jin-Jie Yan,Ming-Huang Hong,Jun Ma,Lin-Quan Tang,Hai-Qiang M 대한암학회 2019 Cancer Research and Treatment Vol.51 No.4

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the survival trends and patterns of failure in patients with stage II nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated with radiotherapy (RT) and chemotherapy over the last 20 years. Materials and Methods Thirty-eight hundred and eight patients diagnosed with stage II NPC between January 1990 and December 2012 were involved in this retrospective cohort study. All patients were treated with RT. According to the main imaging techniques and RT technology, we categorized these patients into four calendar periods: 1990-1996, 1997-2002, 2003-2007, and 2008-2012. Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), locoregional relapse-free survival (LRFS), and distant metastasis–free survival (DMFS) were served as the clinical outcome. Results After a median follow-up period of 84.7 months, we observed increasing trends in survival and disease control. The 3- and 5-year OS rates increased from 87.1% and 78.7% in the first calendar period to 97.4% and 94.5% in the last calendar period, respectively (p < 0.001). Additionally, significant increasing trends could be seen in the PFS and LRFS during the four calendar periods. In the subgroup analysis, the LRFS in patients older than 50 years at diagnosis showed greater improvement than younger patients. However, the rate of distant metastasis was stable and relatively low, as the 5-year DMFS ranged from 90.5% to 94.7% among the four calendar periods. Conclusion The survival rates in patients with stage II NPC showed increasing trends from 1990 to 2012. The advance of RT provided excellent locoregional control and enhanced OS.

Diffusion-Weighted Imaging for the Left Hepatic Lobe has Higher Diagnostic Accuracy for Malignant Focal Liver Lesions

Han, Xue,Dong, Yin,Xiu, Jian-Jun,Zhang, Jie,Huang, Zhao-Qin,Cai, Shi-Feng,Yuan, Xian-Shun,Liu, Qing-Wei Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.15

Background: This study was conducted to investigate whether apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements by dividing the liver into left and right hepatic lobes may be utilized to improve the accuracy of differential diagnosis of benign and malignant focal liver lesions. Materials and Methods: A total of 269 consecutive patients with 429 focal liver lesions were examined by 3-T magnetic resonance imaging that included diffusion-weighted imaging. For 58 patients with focal liver lesions of the same etiology in left and right hepatic lobes, ADCs of normal liver parenchyma and focal liver lesions were calculated and compared using the paired t-test. For all 269 patients, ADC cutoffs for focal liver lesions and diagnostic accuracy in the left hepatic lobe, right hepatic lobe and whole liver were evaluated by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Results: For the group of 58 patients, mean ADCs of normal liver parenchyma and focal liver lesions in the left hepatic lobe were significantly higher than those in the right hepatic lobe. For differentiating malignant lesions from benign lesions in all patients, the sensitivity and specificity were 92.6% and 92.0% in the left hepatic lobe, 94.4% and 94.4% in the right hepatic lobe, and 90.4% and 94.7% in the whole liver, respectively. The area under the curve of the right hepatic lobe, but not the left hepatic lobe, was higher than that of the whole liver. Conclusions: ADCs of normal liver parenchyma and focal liver lesions in the left hepatic lobe were significantly higher than those in the right hepatic lobe. Optimal ADC cutoff for focal liver lesions in the right hepatic lobe, but not in the left hepatic lobe, had higher diagnostic accuracy compared with that in the whole liver.

Prognostic Significance of Beclin-1 Expression in Colorectal Cancer: a Meta-analysis

Han, Ye,Xue, Xiao-Feng,Shen, Hu-Gang,Guo, Xiao-Bo,Wang, Xu,Yuan, Bin,Guo, Xing-Po,Kuang, Yu-Ting,Zhi, Qiao-Ming,Zhao, Hong Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.11

Objective: Beclin-1 has recently been observed as an essential marker of autophagy in several cancers. However, the prognostic role of Beclin-1 in colorectal neoplasia remains controversial. Our study aimed to evaluate the potential association between Beclin-1 expression and the outcome of colorectal cancer patients. Materials and Methods: All related studies were systematically searched in Pubmed, Embase, Springer and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure databases (CNKI), and then a meta-analysis was performed to determine the association of Beclin-1 expression with clinical outcomes. Finally, a total of 6 articles were included in our analysis. Results: Our data showed that high Beclin-1 expression in patients with CRC was associated with poor prognosis in terms of tumor distant metastasis (OR=2.090, 95%CI=1.061-4.119, p=0.033) and overall survival (RR=1.422, 95%CI=1.032-1.959, p=0.031). However, we did not found any correlation between Beclin-1 over-expression and tumor differentiation (OR=1.711, 95%CI=0.920-3.183, p=0.090). In addition, there was no evidence of publication bias as suggested by Egger's tests for tumor distant metastasis (p=1.000), differentiation (p=1.000) and OS (p=0.308). Conclusions: Our present meta-analysis indicated that elevated Beclin-1 expression iss associated with tumor metastasis and a poor prognosis in patients with CRC. Beclin-1 might serve as an efficient prognostic indicator in CRC, and could be a new molecular target in CRC therapy.

High­risk human papillomavirus genotype distribution and attribution to cervical cancer and precancerous lesions in a rural Chinese population

Xue-Lian Zhao,Shang-Ying Hu,Qian Zhang,Li Dong,Rui-Mei Feng,Ross Han,Fang-Hui Zhao 대한부인종양학회 2017 Journal of Gynecologic Oncology Vol.28 No.4

Objective: To explore the genotype distribution of high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) and its attribution to different grades of cervical lesions in rural China, which will contribute to type-specific HPV screening tests and the development of new polyvalent HPV vaccines among the Chinese population. Methods: One thousand two hundred ninety-two subjects were followed based on the Shanxi Province Cervical Cancer Screening Study I (SPOCCS-I), and screened by HPV DNA testing (hybrid capture® 2 [HC2]), liquid-based cytology (LBC), and if necessary, directed or random colposcopy-guided quadrant biopsies. HPV genotyping with linear inverse probe hybridization (SPF10-PCR-LiPA) was performed in HC2 positive specimens. Attribution of specific HR-HPV type to different grades of cervical lesions was estimated using a fractional contribution approach. Results: After excluding incomplete data, 1,274 women were included in the final statistical analysis. Fifteen point two percent (194/1,274) of women were HR-HPV positive for any of 13 HR-HPV types (HPV16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, and 68) and the most common HR-HPV types were HPV16 (19.1%) and HPV52 (16.5%). The genotypes most frequently detected in HR-HPV-positive cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 1 (CIN1) were HPV52 (24.1%), HPV31 (20.7%), HPV16 (13.8%), HPV33 (13.8%), HPV39 (10.3%), and HPV56 (10.3%); in HR-HPV-positive cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or worse (CIN2+): HPV16 (53.1%), HPV58 (15.6%), HPV33 (12.5%), HPV51 (9.4%), and HPV52 (6.3%). HPV52, 31, 16, 33, 39, and 56 together contributed to 89.7% of HR-HPV-positive CIN1, and HPV16, 33, 58, 51, and 52 together contributed to 87.5% of CIN2+. Conclusion: In summary, we found substantial differences in prevalence and attribution of CINs between different oncogenic HPV types in a rural Chinese population, especially for HPV16, 31, 33, 52, and 58. These differences may be relevant for both clinical management and the design of preventive strategies.

A Novel Selenium- and Copper-Containing Peptide with Both Superoxide Dismutase and Glutathione Peroxidase Activities

Xian Feng Zou,Yue Tong Ji,Gui Gao,Xue Jun Zhu,Shao Wu Lv,Fei Yan,Si Ping Han,Xing Chen,Chang Cheng Gao,Jun Qiu Liu,Gui Min Luo 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2010 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.20 No.1

Antioxidant effect of peony seed oil on aging mice

Xiao-Miao Han,Su-Xi Wu,Mei-Fang Wu,Xue-Feng Yang 한국식품과학회 2017 Food Science and Biotechnology Vol.26 No.6

D-galactose was injected into mice of ages 4–5 months, and peony seed oil was administered using an oral gavage to assess its possible anti-aging functions. The content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and the activities of monoamine oxidase (MAO), glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the brain and liver of these mice were determined using biochemical kits. The significance of the differences in the content of the components associated with aging and anti-aging among each group was analyzed statistically. The MDA content and activities of MAO in the brain and liver of mice in the peony seed oil group were significantly lower than those in the aging group. The activities of GSH-Px, Cu/Zn-SOD, and Mn-SOD in the brain and liver of mice in the peony seed oil group were very significantly higher than those in the aging group. Peony seed oil was determined to have an obvious anti-aging function.

Study on the Seismic Optimization Scheme of Steel Bundled-Tube Structure with Vertical Setback

Yong Hao,Feng Chen,Yun-hui Han,Xue-qian Hao,Chun-hui Du,Qiu-yu Ding 대한토목학회 2024 KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering Vol.28 No.2

In order to improve the seismic performance of vertical setback steel bundled-tube structure and meet the dynamic multi-objective requirements of seismic performance-based design, the optimization effects under rare earthquakes on the zone of fortification intensity 7 and 8 in China are researched by improving members stiffness and adding dampers in the weak parts of structure, based on dynamic elastic-plastic analysis. The results show that: 1) Under rare earthquakes on the zone of fortification intensity 7, increasing the stiffness of weak skirt beam can improve the seismic performance of spiral and symmetrical setback structure; 2) For the spiral setback structure, under rare earthquakes on the zone of fortification intensity 7, the damper can only be arranged at the junction of the first layer of the setback frame unit and the frame unit without setback. However, under rare earthquakes on the zone of fortification intensity 8, it is not advisable to install dampers at the weak areas; 3) After incorporating dampers at the weak areas of symmetrical setback structure, the optimized members experienced a reduction in stress levels, significantly decreased the inter-layer displacement angles with a maximum reduction of 43%, and the optimization effect is significant.

Indole-3-propionic acid inhibits gut dysbiosis and endotoxin leakage to attenuate steatohepatitis in rats

Ze-Hua Zhao,Feng-Zhi Xin,Yaqian Xue,Zhimin Hu,Yamei Han,Fengguang Ma,Da Zhou,Xiao-Lin Liu,Aoyuan Cui,Zhengshuai Liu,Yuxiao Liu,Jing Gao,Qin Pan,Yu Li,Jian-Gao Fan 생화학분자생물학회 2019 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.51 No.-

Microbial metabolites have emerged as critical components that mediate the metabolic effects of the gut microbiota. Here, we show that indole-3-propionic acid (IPA), a tryptophan metabolite produced by gut bacteria, is a potent anti-non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) microbial metabolite. Here, we demonstrate that administration of IPA modulates the microbiota composition in the gut and inhibits microbial dysbiosis in rats fed a high-fat diet. IPA induces the expression of tight junction proteins, such as ZO-1 and Occludin, and maintains intestinal epithelium homeostasis, leading to a reduction in plasma endotoxin levels. Interestingly, IPA inhibits NF-κB signaling and reduces the levels of proinflammatory cytokines, such as TNFα, IL-1β, and IL-6, in response to endotoxin in macrophages to repress hepatic inflammation and liver injury. Moreover, IPA is sufficient to inhibit the expression of fibrogenic and collagen genes and attenuate diet-induced NASH phenotypes. The beneficial effects of IPA on the liver are likely mediated through inhibiting the production of endotoxin in the gut. These findings suggest a protective role of IPA in the control of metabolism and uncover the gut microbiome and liver cross-talk in regulating the intestinal microenvironment and liver pathology via a novel dietary nutrient metabolite. IPA may provide a new therapeutic strategy for treating NASH.