Xanthoceraside Induces Apoptosis in Melanoma Cells Through the Activation of Caspases and the Suppression of the IGF-1R/Raf/MEK/ERK Signaling Pathway

Qing Jiao,Libo Zou,Peng Liu,Qian Xu,Yifei Zhang,Ying Yu,Lu Zou,Tianyan Chi,Xuefei Ji 한국식품영양과학회 2014 Journal of medicinal food Vol.17 No.10

Xanthoceraside, a saponin extracted from the husks of Xanthoceras sorbifolia Bunge, suppresses inflammation and oxidative stress. However, the antitumor properties of xanthoceraside as well as its mechanism of action remain unclear. Therefore, we proposed to investigate its potential anticancer property. In this study, the viability of cells was measured by the MTT assay. Cell cycle and mitochondrial membrane potential were measured by flow cytometry, and the expressions of procaspase-9, procaspase-3, Cyto.c, Apaf-1, Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, Bad, p53, and IGF-1R/Raf/MEK/ERK were tested by Western blotting. Xanthoceraside significantly inhibited the proliferation of human melanoma A375.S2 cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner but did not impair the viability of normal cells (peripheral blood mononuclear cells). Further analysis revealed that xanthoceraside induced apoptosis by activating caspase-3 and caspase-9 in a time-dependent manner through the mitochondrial pathway but did not activate caspase-8 in the cells. In addition, xanthoceraside inhibited the expression of the insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R), which is an important prosurvival, antiapoptotic signaling growth factor receptor that is frequently overexpressed in cancer cells and used as a therapeutic target for multiple cancers. Interestingly, xanthoceraside also decreased the expression of Raf, p-MEK, and p-ERK, the downstream effectors of IGF-1R. Taken together, these findings indicate that xanthoceraside induces apoptosis through a mitochondria-mediated apoptotic pathway, which is induced by the downregulation of IGF-1R/Raf/MEK/ERK cascades in A375.S2 cells.

Golgi Phosphoprotein 2 Down-regulates the Th1 Response in Human Gastric Cancer Cells by Suppressing IL-12A

Tang, Qing-Feng,Ji, Qing,Tang, Yu,Hu, Song-Jiao,Bao, Yi-Jie,Peng, Wen,Yin, Pei-Hao Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.10

Golgi phosphoprotein 2 (GOLPH2) is a very important biomarker in a variety of diseases. Its biological function is not clear, particularly in gastric cancer. To investigate the role of GOLPH2 in human gastric cancer, and determine its effect on the Th1 lymphocyte response, its expression and that of IL-12A were measured by real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry. The relationship between GOLPH2 and IL-12A was analysed statistically. The effect of GOLPH2 on the Th1 lymphocyte response was investigated with an in vitro co-culture system. The results showed that in human gastric cancer, the expression of GOLPH2 was significantly higher and the expression of IL-12A was lower than in normal gastric mucosal tissues, and the expression levels of GOLPH2 and IL-12A were negatively correlated. In addition, obvious down-regulation of the Th1 response was observed when lymphocytes were co-cultured with gastric cancer SGC7901 cells over-expressing GOLPH2. GOLPH2 down-regulated the expression of IL-12A, and inhibited the expression of TNF-${\alpha}$ and IFN-${\gamma}$. The results indicated that GOLPH2 down-regulates the Th1 response via suppression of IL-12A in human gastric cancer, and this might provide a target for the prevention and treatment.

Use of In Vivo-Induced Antigen Technology to Identify In Vivo-Expressed Genes of Campylobacter jejuni During Human Infection

( Yuan Qing Hu ),( Jin Lin Huang ),( Qiu Chun Li ),( Yu Wei Shang ),( Fang Zhe Ren ),( Yang Jiao ),( Zhi Cheng Liu ),( Zhi Ming Pan ),( Xin An Jiao ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2014 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.24 No.3

Campylobacter jejuni is a prevalent foodborne pathogen worldwide. Human infection by C. jejuni primarily arises from contaminated poultry meats. Genes expressed in vivo may play an important role in the pathogenicity of C. jejuni. We applied an immunoscreening method, in vivo-induced antigen technology (IVIAT), to identify in vivo-induced genes during human infection by C. jejuni. An inducible expression library of genomic proteins was constructed from sequenced C. jejuni NCTC 11168 and was then screened using adsorbed, pooled human sera obtained from clinical patients. We successfully identified 24 unique genes expressed in vivo. These genes were implicated in metabolism, molecular biosynthesis, genetic information processing, transport, and other processes. We selected six genes with different functions to compare their expression levels in vivo and in vitro using real-time RT-PCR. The results showed that the selected six genes were significantly upregulated in vivo but not in vitro. In short, these identified in vivo-induced genes may contribute to human infection of C. jejuni, some of which may be meaningful vaccine candidate antigens or diagnosis serologic markers for campylobacteriosis. IVIAT may present a significant and efficient method for understanding the pathogenicity mechanism of Campylobacter and for finding targets for its prevention and control.

Endogenous leptin promotes autophagy in EBSS-induced PFCs

Deling Jiao,Zhen Yang,Lulu Wang,Binyue Hu,Jing Wang,Anyong Xu,Wenmin Cheng,Baoyu Jia,Yubo Qing,Hong-Ye Zhao,Hong-Jiang Wei 한국통합생물학회 2019 Animal cells and systems Vol.23 No.5

Leptin is an important adipokine and plays a vital role in animals. However, the role of leptin in the autophagic response of pig fibroblast cells (PFCs) has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we investigated the relationship between leptin and autophagy as well as underlying molecular basis. We found that PFCs treated with EBSS could secrete leptin, and the leptin concentration in the supernatant of leptin transgenic PFCs was higher than that of WT PFCs. We found an increase in LC3-II protein level and a decrease in p62 protein level in treated leptin transgenic PFCs compared with treated WT PFCs. Meanwhile, we observed an increase of autophagosomes by transmission electron microscopy and an enhancement of the accumulation of LC3 puncta in the cytoplasm of treated leptin transgenic PFCs, and these effects were further augmented by Baf A1 treatment. Furthermore, we detected the expression levels of 7 autophagy signaling pathway genes and 17 autophagy-related (ATG) genes by q-PCR. We found that between the two types of EBSS-treated cells 3 genes expression pattern were significantly different among the 7 autophagy signaling pathway genes and 8 genes expression pattern were significantly differernt among the ATG genes. These results indicated that leptin may promote autophagy and involving the downregulation of FOXO1 and LMNA genes via an unknown pathway which causes the upregulation of the 4 genes and the downregulation of 4 genes.

The Emergence of the 16S rRNA Methyltransferase RmtB in a Multidrug-Resistant Serratia marcescens Isolate in China

Xue-Jiao Ma,Jia-Bin Li,Jun Cheng,Haifei Yang,Yanyan Liu,Qing Mei,Ying Ye,Hong-Ru Li 대한진단검사의학회 2015 Annals of Laboratory Medicine Vol.35 No.1

The Magas1 Gene is Involved in Pathogenesis by Affecting Penetration in Metarhizium acridum

( Yue Qing Cao ),( Xiang Xian Zhu ),( Run Jiao ),( Yu Xian Xia ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2012 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.22 No.7

Appressorium is a specialized infection structure of filamentous pathogenic fungi and plays an important role in establishing a pathogenic relationship with the host. The Egh16/Egh16H family members are involved in appressorium formation and pathogenesis in pathogenic filamentous fungi. In this study, a homolog of Egh16H, Magas1, was identified from an entomopathogenic fungus, Metarhizium acridum. The Magas1 protein shared a number of conserved motifs with other Egh16/Egh16H family members and specifically expressed during the appressorium development period. Magas1-EGFP fusion expression showed that Magas1 protein was not localized inside the cell. Deletion of the Magas1 gene had no impact on vegetative growth, conidiation and appressorium formation, but resulted in a decreased mortality of host insect when topically inoculated. However, the mortality was not significant between the Magas1 deletion mutant and wild-type treatment when the cuticle was bypassed by injecting conidia directly into the hemocoel. Our results suggested that Magas1 may influence virulence by affecting the penetration of the insects` cuticle.

Food Microbiology and Biotechnology : Screening of Genes Expressed In Vivo During Interaction Between Chicken and Campylobacter jejuni

( Yuan Qing Hu ),( Jin Lin Huang ),( Xin An Jiao ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2014 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.24 No.2

Chicken are considered as the most important source of human infection by Campylobacter jejuni, which primarily arises from contaminated poultry meats. However, the genes expressed in vivo of the interaction between chicken and C. jejuni have not been screened. In this regard, in vivo-induced antigen technology (IVIAT) was applied to identify expressed genes in vivo during interaction between chicken and C. jejuni, a prevalent foodborne pathogen worldwide. Chicken sera were obtained by inoculating C. jejuni NCTC 11168 into Leghorn chickens through oral and intramuscular administration. Pooled chicken sera, adsorbed against in vitrogrown cultures of C. jejuni, were used to screen the inducible expression library of genomic proteins from sequenced C. jejuni NCTC 11168. Finally, 28 unique genes expressed in vivo were successfully identified after secondary and tertiary screenings with IVIAT. The genes were implicated in metabolism, molecular biosynthesis, genetic information processing, transport, regulation and other processes, in addition to Cj0092, with unknown function. Several potential virulence-associated genes were found to be expressed in vivo, including chuA, flgS, cheA, rplA, and Cj0190c. We selected four genes with different functions to compare their expression levels in vivo and in vitro using real-time RT-PCR. The results indicated that these selected genes were significantly upregulated in vivo but not in vitro. In short, the expressed genes in vivo may act as potential virulence-associated genes, the protein encoded by which may be meaningful vaccine candidate antigens for campylobacteriosis. IVIAT provides an important and efficient strategy for understanding the interaction mechanisms between Campylobacter and hosts.

Electroacupuncture Promotes Motor Function Recovery in MCAO/R Rats by Activating Astrocyte-Related PI3K/AKT Pathway

Zhang Xiao-Qing,Wang Yi-He,Sun Li,Dong Bao-Qiang,Sui Yue-Jiao,Dong Jia-Zi,Han Yang 사단법인약침학회 2022 Journal of Acupuncture & Meridian Studies Vol.15 No.5

Background: Electroacupuncture (EA) is a widely used traditional Chinese medicine method to manage various diseases, including cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (CIRI). Objectives: We assessed the neuroprotective effects of EA and examined its mechanism in a rat model of the middle cerebral artery occlusion-reperfusion (MCAO/R). The gait analysis was performed to evaluate the neuroprotective effects. Western blot and immunohistochemistry assays were carried out to determine the molecular mechanisms of EA. Methods: Male SD rats were randomly divided into the sham operation group, right MCAO/R group, and EA group. EA was administered every day (4/20 Hz, 10 min/1 d) at the following acupoints: Baihui (DU20), Yintang (EX-HN3), and Zusanli (ST36). Gait and motor function were analyzed from day 8 onward. Results: The plantar support and balance coordination of MCAO/R rats decreased, and the cellular structure of the ischemic penumbra was unclear. EA improved the gait dynamics of the rats, adjusted the cell structure, further activated astrocytes, and increased the expression and phosphorylation of phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/PKB or AKT). Conclusion: EA promoted astrocyte-related effects in the rat model. Our findings suggest that the neuroprotective mechanism of EA may be related to the activation of the PI3K/ AKT signaling pathway. The intervention enhanced brain protection and improved motor functions.

Streptomyces xinghaiensis sp. nov., isolated from marine sediment.

Zhao, Xin-Qing,Li, Wen-Jun,Jiao, Wen-Ce,Li, Yan,Yuan, Wen-Jie,Zhang, Yu-Qin,Klenk, Hans-Peter,Suh, Joo-Won,Bai, Feng-Wu Society for General Microbiology 2009 International journal of systematic and evolutiona Vol.59 No.11

<P>A novel actinomycete, strain S187(T), was isolated from a marine sediment sample collected from Xinghai Bay, Dalian, China. Growth occurred on ISP medium 2 containing 0-9 % NaCl and at pH 6.0-9.0 and 10-45 degrees C. The cell wall of strain S187(T) contained the isomer ll-diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic diamino acid. The predominant menaquinones were MK-9(H(6)) (40.8 %), MK-9(H(8)) (38.2 %) and MK-9(H(2)) (8.8 %). The major fatty acids were iso-C(16 : 0) (29.6 %), anteiso-C(15 : 0) (14.0 %) and anteiso-C(17 : 0) (11.6 %). Cells contained phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol mannosides and one unknown phospholipid. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 72.01 mol%. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of the isolate had similarities of 98.1 and 97.5 % with those of Streptomyces flavofuscus NRRL B-8036(T) (=DSM 41426(T)) and Streptomyces albiaxialis DSM 41799(T), respectively, showing that the novel strain should be assigned to the genus Streptomyces. DNA-DNA hybridizations with the two above-mentioned Streptomyces species showed 31.4 and 46.9 % relatedness, respectively. Moreover, the three strains differed in some physiological and biochemical properties. Thus, on the basis of phenotypic and genotypic analyses, it is proposed that strain S187(T) represents a novel species of the genus Streptomyces, for which the name Streptomyces xinghaiensis sp. nov. is proposed; the type strain is S187(T) (=NRRL B-24674(T)=CCTCC AA 208049(T)=KCTC 19546(T)).</P>

Short Low Concentration Cisplatin Treatment Leads to an Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition-like Response in DU145 Prostate Cancer Cells

Liu, Yi-Qing,Zhang, Guo-An,Zhang, Bing-Chang,Wang, Yong,Liu, Zheng,Jiao, Yu-Lian,Liu, Ning,Zhao, Yue-Ran Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.3

Background: Prostate cancer is one of the main causes of cancer death, and drug resistance is the leading reason for therapy failure. However, how this occurs is largely unknown. We therrfore aimed to study the response of DU145 cells to cisplatin. Materials and Methods: Du145 prostate cancer cells were treated with a low dose of cisplatin for 24 h and cell viability and number were determined by MTT assay and trypan blue exclusion assay, respectively. The real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to assess responses to cisplatin treatment. Results: After 24h $2{\mu}g/ml$ treatment did not result in significant reduction in cell viability or number. However, it led to enhanced cancer cell invasiveness. E-cadherin mRNA was reduced, and vimentin, Snail, Slug, metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) mRNA expression increased significantly, a feature of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Conclusions: Short time low concentration cisplatin treatment leads to elevated invasiveness of DU145 cancer cells and this is possibly due to EMT.