New metabolites from the biotransformation of ginsenoside Rb1 by Paecilomyces bainier sp.229 and activities in inducing osteogenic differentiation by Wnt/β-catenin signaling activation

Zhou, Wei,Huang, Hai,Zhu, Haiyan,Zhou, Pei,Shi, Xunlong The Korean Society of Ginseng 2018 Journal of Ginseng Research Vol.42 No.2

Background: Ginseng is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine that has been widely used in a range of therapeutic and healthcare applications in East Asian countries. Microbial transformation is regarded as an effective and useful technology in modification of nature products for finding new chemical derivatives with potent bioactivities. In this study, three minor derivatives of ginsenoside compound K were isolated and the inducing effects in the Wingless-type MMTV integration site (Wnt) signaling pathway were also investigated. Methods: New compounds were purified from scale-up fermentation of ginsenoside Rb1 by Paecilomyces bainier sp. 229 through repeated silica gel column chromatography and high pressure liquid chromatography. Their structures were determined based on spectral data and X-ray diffraction. The inductive activities of these compounds on the Wnt signaling pathway were conducted on MC3T3-E1 cells by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis. Results: The structures of a known 3-keto derivative and two new dehydrogenated metabolites were elucidated. The crystal structure of the 3-keto derivative was reported for the first time and its conformation was compared with that of ginsenoside compound K. The inductive effects of these compounds on osteogenic differentiation by activating the Wnt/b-catenin signaling pathway were explained for the first time. Conclusion: This study may provide a new insight into the metabolic pathway of ginsenoside by microbial transformation. In addition, the results might provide a reasonable explanation for the activity of ginseng in treating osteoporosis and supply good monomer ginsenoside resources for nutraceutical or pharmaceutical development.

Genetic Variation of Growth Hormone Gene and Its Relationship with Milk Production Traits in China Holstein Cows

Zhou, Guo-li,Zhu, Qi,Jin, Hai-guo,Guo, Shan-li Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2006 Animal Bioscience Vol.19 No.3

Associations were analysed between polymorphisms localized in intron 3 of the growth hormone gene (GH-MspI) and milk production traits of 543 China Holstein cows. A PCR-RFLP method was used for identification of genotypes. The following frequencies of genotypes and alleles were found: 0.77, 0.21 and 0.02 for +/+, +/- and -/-, respectively, and 0.87 and 0.13 for $GH^+$ and $GH^-$, respectively. Significant differences between herds were observed in the frequencies of both genotypes and alleles. The results of least squares analysis showed that in all three lactation phases the GH +/+ cows yielded most milk (p<0.01 for lactation I and p<0.05 for lactations II and III), whereas +/- cows showed higher milk fat content than +/+ individuals (p<0.05 for lactation I and II, and p<0.01 for lactation III). The +/+ cows yielded more fat than +/- individuals (p<0.01 only in lactation I). The +/+ cows yielded more milk protein than +/- individuals (p<0.01 for lactation I, II, and III). The +/+ cows produced milk of higher protein content than that of +/- individuals (p<0.05 only in lactation II). Based on these results, we conclude that the +/+ of GH locus should be the favored genotype in China Holstein cow breeds for use in marker-assisted selection programmes.

Review : Recovery Processes of Organic Acids from Fermentation Broths in the Biomass-Based Industry

( Qian Zhu Li ),( Xing Lin Jiang ),( Xin Jun Feng ),( Ji Ming Wang ),( Chao Sun ),( Hai Bo Zhang ),( Mo Xian ),( Hui Zhou Liu ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2016 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.26 No.1

The new movement towards green chemistry and renewable feedstocks makes microbial production of chemicals more competitive. Among the numerous chemicals, organic acids are more attractive targets for process development efforts in the renewable-based biorefinery industry. However, most of the production costs in microbial processes are higher than that in chemical processes, among which over 60% are generated by separation processes. Therefore, the research of separation and purification processes is important for a promising biorefinery industry. This review highlights the progress of recovery processes in the separation and purification of organic acids, including their advantages and disadvantages, current situation, and future prospects in terms of recovery yields and industrial application.

Expression of bcl-2 and p53 in Induction of Esophageal Cancer Cell Apoptosis by ECRG2 in Combination with Cisplatin

Song, Hai-Yan,Deng, Xiao-Hui,Yuan, Guo-Yan,Hou, Xin-Fang,Zhu, Zhen-Dong,Zhou, Li,Ren, Ming-Xin Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.3

Aim: To investigate the mechanisms of induction of apoptosis of esophageal cancer cells by esophageal cancer-related gene 2 (ECRG2) in combination with cisplatin (DDP). Methods: Hoechest staining was performed to analyze the effects of single ECRG2 and ECRG2 in combination with DDP on apoptosis of EC9706 cells. The expression levels of p53 and bcl-2 mRNA and protein were determined by RT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively. Results: The number of apoptotic cells after the treatment with ECRG2 in combination with DDP for 24 hours was more than that after the treatment with single ECRG2. RT-PCR and Western blotting showed that the expression levels of bcl-2 mRNA and protein were both down-regulated, while p53 mRNA and protein were both up-regulated in the cells treated with ECRG2 in combination with DDP compared with those given ECRG2 alone. Conclusion: ECRG2 in combination with DDP can enhance the apoptosis of EC9706 cells, possibly by down-regulating bcl-2 expression and up-regulating p53.

IQGAP1 is overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma and promotes cell proliferation by Akt activation

Chen, Feng,Zhu, Hai-Hong,Zhou, Lin-Fu,Wu, Shan-Shan,Wang, Jing,Chen, Zhi Korean Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Bion 2010 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.42 No.7

The scaffold protein IQGAP1 shows elevated levels in several cancer types, but its expression in hepatocellular carcinoma is unknown. We found that 58% of human hepatocellular carcinoma tissue samples had increased IQGAP1 expression compared to adjacent normal tissue. Overexpressing IQGAP1 raised the in vivo tumorigenicity of hepatocellular carcinoma cells, and forced overexpression of IQGAP1 in vitro stimulated cell proliferation. Cell growth was reduced by knockdown or mutation of IQGAP1, or by treatment of cells with a phosphotidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor. To determine the mechanism by which IQGAP1 overexpression affected hepatocellular carcinoma cells, we confirmed its interaction in these cells with mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), a serine/threonine kinase that integrates signals about nutrient and energy status with downstream effectors that influence cell division. In addition, we discovered a new interaction involving IQGAP1, mTOR and Akt, which is a downstream target of mTOR. Akt phosphorylation on Ser-473, which is catalyzed by mTOR and required for Akt activation, increased with increasing amounts of IQGAP1, and decreased with IQGAP1 mutation. We hypothesize that IQGAP1 is a scaffold that facilitates mTOR and Akt interaction.

A Functional SNP in the MDM2 Promoter Mediates E2F1 Affinity to Modulate Cyclin D1 Expression in Tumor Cell Proliferation

Yang, Zhen-Hai,Zhou, Chun-Lin,Zhu, Hong,Li, Jiu-Hong,He, Chun-Di Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.8

Background: The MDM2 oncogene, a negative regulator of p53, has a functional polymorphism in the promoter region (SNP309) that is associated with multiple kinds of cancers including non-melanoma skin cancer. SNP309 has been shown to associate with accelerated tumor formation by increasing the affinity of the transcriptional activator Sp1. It remains unknown whether there are other factors involved in the regulation of MDM2 transcription through a trans-regulatory mechanism. Methods: In this study, SNP309 was verified to be associated with overexpression of MDM2 in tumor cells. Bioinformatics predicts that the T to G substitution at SNP309 generates a stronger E2F1 binding site, which was confirmed by ChIP and luciferase assays. Results: E2F1 knockdown downregulates the expression of MDM2, which confirms that E2F1 is a functional upstream regulator. Furthermore, tumor cells with the GG genotype exhibited a higher proliferation rate than TT, correlating with cyclin D1 expression. E2F1 depletion significantly inhibits the proliferation capacity and downregulates cyclin D1 expression, especially in GG genotype skin fibroblasts. Notably, E2F1 siRNA effects could be rescued by cyclin D1 overexpression. Conclusion: Taken together, a novel modulator E2F1 was identified as regulating MDM2 expression dependent on SNP309 and further mediates cyclin D1 expression and tumor cell proliferation. E2F1 might act as an important factor for SNP309 serving as a rate-limiting event in carcinogenesis.

IQGAP1 is overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma and promotes cell proliferation by Akt activation

Feng Chen,Zhi Chen,Hai-Hong Zhu,Lin-Fu Zhou,Shan-Shan Wu,Jing Wang 생화학분자생물학회 2010 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.42 No.7

The scaffold protein IQGAP1 shows elevated levels in several cancer types, but its expression in hepatocellular carcinoma is unknown. We found that 58%of human hepatocellular carcinoma tissue samples had increased IQGAP1 expression compared to adjacent normal tissue. Overexpressing IQGAP1 raised the in vivo tumorigenicity of hepatocellular carcinoma cells, and forced overexpression of IQGAP1 in vitro stimulated cell proliferation. Cell growth was reduced by knockdown or mutation of IQGAP1, or by treatment of cells with a phosphotidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor. To determine the mechanism by which IQGAP1 overexpression affected hepatocellular carcinoma cells,we confirmed its interaction in these cells with mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), a serine/threonine kinase that integrates signals about nutrient and energy status with downstream effectors that influence cell division. In addition, we discovered a new interaction involving IQGAP1, mTOR and Akt, which is a downstream target of mTOR. Akt phosphorylation on Ser-473, which is catalyzed by mTOR and required for Akt activation, increased with increasing amounts of IQGAP1, and decreased with IQGAP1 mutation. We hypothesize that IQGAP1 is a scaffold that facilitates mTOR and Akt interaction.

FOXA1: a Promising Prognostic Marker in Breast Cancer

Hu, Qing,Luo, Zhou,Xu, Tao,Zhang, Jun-Ying,Zhu, Ying,Chen, Wei-Xian,Zhong, Shan-Liang,Zhao, Jian-Hua,Tang, Jin-Hai Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.1

Accurate diagnosis and proper monitoring of cancer patients remain important obstacles for successful cancer treatment. The search for cancer biomarkers can aid in more accurate prediction of clinical outcome and may also reveal novel predictive factors and therapeutic targets. One such prognostic marker seems to be FOXA1. Many studies have shown that FOXA1 is strongly expressed in a vast majority of cancers, including breast cancer, in which high expression is associated with a good prognosis. In this review, we summarize the role of this transcription factor in the development and prognosis of breast cancer in the hope of providing insights into utility of FOXA1 as a novel biomarker.

Genetic variations in the bitter taste receptor gene TAS2R38 are related to cigarette smoking behavior in Han Chinese smokers

Qi Fei-Yan,Zhu Zhou-Hai,Li Meng,Guan Ying,Peng Qi-Yuan,Lu She-Ming,Liu Zhi-Hua,Wang Ming-Feng,Miao Ming-Ming,Chen Zhang-Yu,Li Xue-Mei,Bai Jie,Yao Jian-Hua 한국유전학회 2022 Genes & Genomics Vol.44 No.11

Background: Smoking behavior is influenced by multiple genes, including the bitter taste gene TAS2R38. It has been reported that the correlation between TAS2R38 and smoking behavior has ethnicity-based differences. However, the TAS2R38 status in Chinese smokers is still unclear. Objective: This study aims to investigate the possible relationship between genetic variations in TAS2R38 (A49P, V262A and I296V) and smoking behaviors in the Han Chinese population. Methods: The haplotype analyses were performed and smoking behavior questionnaire was completed by 1271 individuals. Genetic association analyses for smoking behavior were analyzed using chi-square test. Further, for investigating the molecular mechanism of TAS2R38 variants effect on smoking behavior, we conducted TAS2R38-PAV and TAS2R38-AVI expression plasmids and tested the cellular calcium assay by cigarette smoke compounds stimulus in HEK293. Results: Significant associations of genetic variants within TAS2R38 were identified with smoking behavior. We found a higher PAV/PAV frequency than AVI/AVI in moderate and high nicotine dependence (FTND ≥ 4; X2 = 4.611, 1 df, p = 0.032) and strong cigarette smoke flavor intensity preference (X2 = 4.5383, 1 df, p = 0.033) in participants. Furthermore, in the in vitro cellular calcium assay, total particle matter (TPM), N-formylnornicotine and cotinine, existing in cigarette smoke, activated TAS2R38-PAV but not TAS2R38-AVI-transfected cells. Conclusion: Our data highlights that genetic variations in TAS2R38 are related to smoking behavior, especially nicotine dependence and cigarette smoke flavor intensity preference. Our findings may encourage further consideration of the taste process to identify individuals susceptible to nicotine dependence, particularly Han Chinese smokers.

Mechanical behaviour of concrete filled double skin steel tubular stub columns confined by FRP under axial compression

Jun Wang,Weiqing Liu,Ding Zhou,Lu Zhu,Hai Fang 국제구조공학회 2014 Steel and Composite Structures, An International J Vol.17 No.4

The present study focuses on the mechanical behaviour of concrete filled double skin steel tubular (CFDST) stub columns confined by fiber reinforced polymer (FRP). A series of axial compression tests have been conducted on two CFDST stub columns, eight CFDST stub columns confined by FRP and a concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) stub column confined by FRP, respectively. The influences of hollow section ratio, FRP wall thickness and fibre longitudinal-circumferential proportion on the load-strain curve and the concrete stress-strain curve for stub columns with annular section were discussed. The test results displayed that the FRP jacket can obviously enhance the carrying capacity of stub columns. Based on the test results, a new model which includes the effects of confinement factor, hollow section ratio and lateral confining pressure of the outer steel tube was proposed to calculate the compressive strength of confined concrete. Using the present concrete strength model, the formula to predict the carrying capacity of CFDST stub columns confined by FRP was derived. The theoretically predicted results agree well with those obtained from the experiments and FE analysis. The present method is also adapted to calculate the carrying capacity of CFST stub columns confined by FRP.