Higher Protein Expression Levels Research Articles

Overexpression of HYOU1 is associated with cisplatin resistance and may depend on m6A modification in patients with cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer (CC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer-associated mortalities among women worldwide. The chemotherapeutical platinum-based agent cisplatin (DDP) is the standard therapy for locally advanced or recurrent CC; however, platinum resistance limits its clinical benefit. Therefore, the present study aimed to identify key genes associated with DDP resistance in patients with CC and investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms. Firstly, using the CRISPR-Cas9 dataset of CC cells derived from DepMap portal, 699 genes associated with CC cell survival were identified. Subsequently, using the gene expression profiles of normal and CC samples with a response status to DDP, derived from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), hypoxia upregulated 1 (HYOU1) was further identified as significantly upregulated in CC samples and patients that did not respond to DDP (non-responders) when compared with healthy controls and patients that did respond to DDP (responders), respectively, using unpaired student's t-tests. Additionally, the log-rank test revealed that the high expression of HYOU1 was significantly associated with the poor survival of patients receiving DDP. The association between the high HYOU1 expression levels and the poor survival of patients receiving DDP was validated in the remaining TCGA dataset of patients with CC. HYOU1 expression levels were positively associated with the half-maximal inhibitory concentration value of DDP in CC cells using data derived from the Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer database. In vitro, western blotting experiments revealed high HYOU1 protein expression levels in DDP-resistant HeLa cells compared with their parental HeLa cells. Furthermore, the knockdown of HYOU1 resulted in an increased sensitivity of HeLa cells to DDP. Finally, using the sequence-based RNA adenosine methylation site predictor program, it was found that N6-methyladenosine (m6A) was highly enriched in HYOU1. The expression levels of the m6A reader, EIF3A, was positively correlated with the expression levels of HYOU1 and was upregulated in the non-response group compared with the response group in a dataset from TCGA database. Additionally, EIF3A had the highest probability of binding to the m6A motifs of HYOU1 compared with other genes. In GSE56363 obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus, the non-responders had significantly increased expression levels of EIF3A compared with the responders. In conclusion, high expression levels of HYOU1, which may be regulated by EIF3A due to m6A modifications, was associated with DDP resistance in patients with CC and could potentially be used as an indicator of DDP treatment resistance.

Apolipoprotein A1-encoding recombinant adenovirus remodels cholesterol metabolism in tumors and the tumor microenvironment to inhibit hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a prevalent malignant tumor requiring effective treatments. Oncolytic viruses induce anti-tumor responses but have limited efficacy. Apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1) inhibits inflammation, modulates immunity, and promotes anti-oxidation. This study aims to construct an oncolytic adenovirus (Ad5)-ApoA1 for superior anti-tumor effects. We analyzed ApoA1 expression in tumors and its prognostic significance using public databases. Subsequently, we engineered a recombinant oncolytic adenovirus Ad5-ApoA1 and assessed its replication and oncolytic efficacy in vitro and in nude mice. The impact of Ad5-ApoA1 on the tumor microenvironment of HCC was evaluated through flow cytometry, transcriptome sequencing, single-cell sequencing, and other methodologies. Additionally, mechanisms of immune microenvironment modulation by Ad5-ApoA1 were explored. ApoA1 expression was down-regulated with HCC progression and significantly positively correlated with the prognosis of HCC patients. Ad5-ApoA1 exhibited robust oncolytic activity but showed no therapeutic effect on nude mice. However, it significantly inhibited HCC growth and prolonged the survival period of both healthy-immune and humanized immune-reconstituted NCG mice. Furthermore, Ad5-ApoA1 significantly promoted the expression of IFN-γ and GzmB in CD8+ T cells while inhibiting the expression of PD-1 and LAG-3. Notably, the cholesterol content in the CD8+ T cells studied was significantly correlated with the expression of PD-1 and LAG-3, with ApoA1 promoting cholesterol efflux and reducing cholesterol levels. Ad5-ApoA1 activates CD8+ T cells by promoting large-scale viral replication. High levels of ApoA1 protein expression promote cholesterol efflux, inhibit CD8+ T cell depletion, and reduce inflammatory factors, ultimately leading to superior therapeutic effects on hepatocellular carcinoma.

The Combined Inhibition of SREBP and mTORC1 Signaling Synergistically Inhibits B-Cell Lymphoma.

The sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP) pathway is essential for maintaining sterol homeostasis during B cell activation and germinal center B cell proliferation. However, its potential as a therapeutic target to treat B-cell lymphoma remains unclear. We examined SREBP protein expression in human B-cell lymphoma samples using immunohistochemistry. Additionally, we conducted invitro studies using SREBP signaling inhibitors in combination with rapamycin to assess their effects on cell proliferation and lipid metabolism in B-cell lymphoma cells. Our analysis revealed high levels of SREBP2 protein expression in human B-cell lymphoma samples. Inhibiting SREBP signaling or its downstream target HMG-CoA reductase (HMGCR) with Fatostatin or Simvastatin effectively suppressed B-cell lymphoma cell proliferation. However, B-cell lymphoma cells responded to statin treatment by activating the mTORC1-pS6 pathway, suggesting a compensatory mechanism to overcome statin-induced cell cycle arrest. Combining low-dose statin treatment with the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin produced a synergistic effect, significantly inhibiting B-cell lymphoma proliferation, cell cycle progression, and lipid raft formation. These results highlight the potential of a combined therapeutic approach targeting both SREBP and mTORC1 as a novel strategy for treating B-cell lymphoma.

Overexpression of TPD52L2 in HNSCC: prognostic significance and correlation with immune infiltrates.

Evidence has been presented that the tumor protein D52 (TPD52) family plays a critical role in tumor development and progression. As a member of the TPD52 family, the changes in TPD52L2 gene status are instrumental in kinds of cancer development. However, its effects on patient prognosis and immune infiltration in Head and Neck Squamous Carcinoma (HNSCC) are still poorly understood. The Tumor Genome Atlas (TCGA), Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), and c-BioPortal database was used to explore the expression pattern, prognostic value, and variation of gene status in HNSCC. The LinkedOmics database was used to obtain the co-expression genes of TPD52L2 and identify the diagnostic value of TPD52L2 in HNSCC. The correlations between TPD52L2 expression and six main types of immune cell infiltrations and immune signatures were explored using Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER). The correlation between TPD52L2 expression and immune checkpoint genes (ICGs) was analyzed by TCGA database. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed to validate the expression of three ICGs (PDL1, PDL2, EGFR) and TPD52L2 using 5 paired HNSCC and normal head and neck tissues. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and Western Blot (WB) of HNSCC and normal head and neck cell lines were performed to verify the high level of TPD52L2 mRNA and protein expression. protein expression of TPD52L2 in pan-cancer was also validated using UALCAN. TPD52L2 was overexpressed in tumor tissues, and it predicted worse survival status in HNSCC. ROC analysis suggested that TPD52L2 had a diagnostic value. Multivariate Cox analysis identified TPD52L2 as an independent negative prognostic marker of overall survival. Functional network analysis suggested that TPD52L2 was associated with immune-related signaling pathways, cell migration pathways, and cancer-related pathways. High expression of TPD52L2 was associated with a more mutant frequency of TP53. Notably, we found that the expression of TPD52L2 was closely negatively correlated with the infiltration levels of 15 types of immune cells and positively correlated with several immune markers. PCR, WB experiments, and UALCAN database verified the high level of TPD52L2 mRNA and protein expression. TPD52L2 is upregulated in HNSCC, which is an independent factor for adverse prognosis prediction. It probably plays a role in the negative regulation of immune cell infiltration. TPD52L2 might be a promising prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in HNSCC.

Mitotic spindle positioning protein serves as prognostic biomarker in patients with colorectal cancer

Background Colorectal cancer (CRC) ranks among the most aggressive types of cancer globally. Currently, clinical tumor prognostic biomarkers still lack accuracy. Mitotic spindle positioning (MISP) protein connects microtubules to the actin cytoskeleton and adhesive plaques, playing a critical role in spindle positioning, orientation, and the process of cell division. MISP can regulate the malignant biological functions of pancreatic cancer and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and it acts as biomarker for prognosis, but its role in CRC remains unclear. Methods This study has collected 37 CRC tissue samples and 37 corresponding adjacent nontumor tissue samples, and 57 additional CRC tissues samples. Clinical data were obtained from the patients with CRC. MISP mRNA and protein expression levels were analyzed in normal control and CRC tissues using the GEPIA and Human Protein Atlas website. MISP protein levels in the collected tissues were analyzed using immunohistochemistry. Results MISP mRNA and protein expression levels were significantly increased in CRC tissues compared to adjacent nontumor tissues. Higher MISP protein levels were associated with distant metastasis, recurrence, and lower survival rates. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that high expression levels of MISP protein were associated with recurrence and death in CRC patients. In addition, a high expression level of MISP protein, lymph node metastasis, and distance metastasis were risk factors for recurrence and a poor prognosis in patients with CRC. Conclusion Elevated MISP protein correlated with tumor metastasis, recurrence, and lower survival rates in patients with CRC, and thus, MISP has the potential to become a prognostic marker for CRC.

A robust high-throughput screening system to assess bacterial tyrosine ammonia lyase activity in the context of tyrosine inherited metabolic disorders.

Inborn errors of tyrosine metabolism result in patient's inability to degrade tyrosine. Current treatment consists of a phenylalanine and tyrosine restricted diet and nitisinone, causing a block in the tyrosine degradation pathway. However, tyrosine levels will increase, leading to acquired hypertyrosinemia, implying the need for an add-on treatment. Tyrosine ammonia lyases (TAL) can provide such an add-on treatment as they catalyze the deamination of tyrosine into p-coumaric acid and ammonia. In this study, we developed a robust high-throughput screening (HTS) assay to assess the capacity of bacterial TAL enzymes to decrease excessive tyrosine. The assay is based on the spectrophotometric quantification of p-coumaric acid after conversion of tyrosine by bacterial TAL. As a benchmark, TAL from Flavobacterium johnsoniae (FjTAL) was used to optimize the assay. Optimal growth conditions for high-level protein expression were determined by incubating transformed Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) cells at different temperatures during various incubation times. Subsequently, assay temperature and pH were optimized followed by testing different ratios of tyrosine assay mixes to bacterial lysate. Finally, assay robustness and functionality were evaluated. Optimal FjTAL expression was obtained after incubation for 24h at 22°C. Ideal assay conditions consist of a 80/20 ratio of 1mM tyrosine assay mix to FjTAL lysate performed at pH 9.2 and 37°C. The robustness test showed Z' values > 0.4 and signal window values > 2 without edge or drift effects. As proof-of-principle, we successfully determined the catalytic activity of two other bacterial TAL enzymes RsTAL (5.718.10-3 ± 0.21.10-3) and SeSAM8 (4.658.10-3 ± 0.37.10-3). A robust, simple and reliable HTS assay was thus developed to evaluate the tyrosine degradation capacity of bacterial TAL enzymes.

Plasmid DNA Delivery into the Skin via Electroporation with a Depot-Type Electrode.

Objectives: Non-viral mediated plasmid DNA transfection by electroporation (EP) is an established method for gene transfection. In this study, the usefulness of direct EP at an intradermal (i.d.) site (DEP) with implanted electrodes to achieve a high protein expression level was investigated. In addition, DEP application with various intervals with a low application voltage was also evaluated to confirm its effect on protein expression. Methods: Green fluorescent protein (GFP)- and luciferase-encoding DNA were administrated, and GFP and luciferase were evaluated. Results: A higher protein expression level was observed after green fluorescent protein (GFP)- and luciferase-encoding DNA were delivered by i.d. injection followed by DEP application. When luciferase expression was observed with an in vivo imaging system, continuous expression was confirmed over 21 days after i.d. injection followed by DEP at 100 V. This approach provided increased gene expression levels compared with conventional EP methods via the stratum corneum layer. In addition, the effect of application voltage on luciferase expression was investigated; two-time applications (repeated DEP) at 20 V with 5 min intervals showed similar luciferase expression level to single DEP application with 100 V. Histological observations showed the skin became thicker after a single DEP at 100 V, whereas no apparent thickness changes were confirmed after repeated DEP at 20 V with 5 min intervals. Conclusions: This study revealed that direct i.d. voltage application achieved high protein expression levels even at low voltages. Skin is a promising administration site for DNA vaccines, so this approach may be effective for DNA vaccine delivery into skin tissue.

Endosialin-positive CAFs promote hepatocellular carcinoma progression by suppressing CD8+ T cell infiltration

Background and aimsEndosialin, also known as tumor endothelial marker1 or CD248, is a transmembrane glycoprotein that is mainly expressed in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Our previous study...

High-Level Expression of β-Glucosidase in Aspergillus niger ATCC 20611 Using the Trichoderma reesei Promoter Pcdna1 to Enhance Cellulose Degradation

β-glucosidase is a key component of cellulase for its function in hydrolyzing cellobiose to glucose in the final step of cellulose degradation. The high-level expression of β-glucosidase is essential for cellulose conversion. Aspergillus niger ATCC 20611 has the potential for efficient protein expression because of its ability to secret enzymes for the industrial production of fructooligosaccharides, but it lacks robust promoters for high-level protein expression. Here, the development of A. niger 20611 as a powerful protein expression system exploited the conserved constitutive promoter Pgpd1 of the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase-encoding gene from Trichoerma reesei to drive the expression of the enhanced green fluorescent protein in A. niger ATCC 20611. The mycelium of the transformant AGE9 exhibited intense fluorescence. Then, the promotor Pgpd1 was used to drive the expression of β-glucosidase and the enzyme activity of transformants AGB1 and AGB33 were 1.02 and 0.51 U/mL, respectively. These results demonstrate that the promotor Pgpd1 from T. reesei was applicable for A. niger ATCC 20611. Furthermore, the T. reesei-specific robust promoter Pcdna1 was used to drive the expression of β-glucosidase. The β-glucosidase exhibited a high-level expression with a yield of 15.2 U/mL, which was over 13.9 times higher than that driven by the promoter Pgpd1. The β-glucosidase was thermally stable and accounted for 85% of the total extracellular proteins. Subsequently, the fermentation broth including β-glucosidase was directly added to the cellulase mixture of T. reesei for saccharification of the acid-treated corncob residues and the delignified corncob residues, which increased the saccharification efficiency by 26.21% and 29.51%, respectively. Thus, β-glucosidase exhibited a high level of expression in A. niger ATCC 20611 and enhanced cellulose degradation by addition in vitro. In addition, the robust promoter Pcdna1 of T. reesei could drive the high-level expression of protein in A. niger ATCC 20611. These results demonstrate that the promoters in filamentous fungi could be employed across species in A. niger ATCC 20611 and further facilitated the efficient expression of β-glucosidase to optimize cellulases for efficient cellulose transformation.

High NTRK2 protein expression levels may be associated with poorer prognosis of breast cancer patients.

Previous research has shown that the role of neurotrophic receptor tyrosine kinase 2 (NTRK2) in breast cancer (BRCA) remains ambiguous. To help elucidate this, we conducted a retrospective study to investigate the relationship between NTRK2 protein expression and BRCA. The prognostic significance of NTRK2 protein expression patterns was assessed by performing immunohistochemistry assays on 131 BRCA tissues and 56 adjacent normal tissues in a retrospective study. Furthermore, the sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drugs was quantified by "pRRophetic" and the sensitivity to immunotherapy was estimated using The Cancer Immunome Atlas website. NTRK2 protein was expressed at significantly higher levels in BRCA samples compared with normal tissues. The data indicated that NTRK2 expression is an independent risk factor for BRCA patient prognosis. Additionally, the high NTRK2 group exhibited increased sensitivity to certain chemotherapy drugs and achieved higher scores for immune checkpoint blockade therapy compared with the low NTRK2 group. Our study demonstrated that higher NTRK2 protein expression is related to a less favorable prognosis in BRCA patients, as well as to enhanced sensitivity to specific chemotherapy and immunotherapy drugs.

High Glycolytic Activity Signature Reveals CCNB2 as a Key Therapeutic Target in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Aerobic glycolysis and the cell cycle are well-established tumor hallmarks. Understanding their relationship could help to unravel the pathogenic mechanisms of breast cancer (BC) and suggest potential new strategies for treatment. Glycolysis-related genes (GRGs) were downloaded from the Reactome database and screened using univariate Cox analysis. The consensus clustering method was employed to identify a glycolytic activity signature (GAS) using the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) dataset. A nomogram risk prediction model was constructed using coefficients from univariate Cox analysis. Immune cell infiltration was evaluated using single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) and the ESTIMATE algorithm. Gene co-expression modules were created using weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) to identify hub genes. Gene expression in three BC cell lines was quantified using Quantitative Reverse Transcriptase Polymera (qRT-PCR). Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data was used to examine the relationship between GAS and hub genes. The sensitivity of different groups to cell cycle-related clinical drugs was also examined. BC with high GAS (HGAS) showed high tumor grade and recurrence rate. HGAS was a prognostic indicator of worse overall survival (OS) in BC patients. HGAS BC showed more abundant immune cells and significantly higher expression of immunomodulators compared to BC with low GAS (LGAS). HGAS BC also showed enhanced cell cycle pathway, with high mRNA and protein expression levels of Cyclin B2 (CCNB2), a key component of the cell cycle pathway. Importantly, scRNA-seq analysis revealed that elevated CCNB2 expression was positively correlated with HGAS in triple-negative BC (TNBC). This was validated in clinical samples from TNBC patients. High expression of CCNB2 was found in three BC cell lines, and was also an indicator of poor prognosis. HGAS BC showed high sensitivity to several cell cycle-related clinical drugs, with 9 of these also showing activity in BC with high CCNB2 expression. HGAS was associated with enhanced cell cycle pathway and immune activity in BC. These results suggest that CCNB2 is a potential key therapeutic target in BC patients.

Acute ocular hypertension in the living human eye: Model description and initial cellular responses to elevated intraocular pressure

This initial methods study presents the initial immunohistochemical and transcriptomic changes in the optic nerve head and retina from three research-consented brain-dead organ donors following prolonged and transient intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation. In this initial study, research-consented brain-dead organ donors were exposed to unilateral elevation of IOP for 7.5 h (Donor 1), 30 h (Donor 2), and 1 h (Donor 3) prior to organ procurement. Optic nerve tissue and retinal tissue was obtained following organ procurement for immunohistological and transcriptomic analysis.Optic nerve sections in Donor 1 exposed to 7.5-hours of unilateral sub-ischemic IOP elevation demonstrated higher levels of protein expression of the astrocytic marker, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), within the lamina cribrosa with greatest expression inferior temporally in the treated eye compared to control. Spatial transcriptomic analysis performed on optic nerve head tissues from Donor 2 exposed to 30 h of unilateral IOP elevation demonstrated differential transcription of mRNA across laminar and scleral regions. Immunohistochemistry of retinal sections from Donor 2 exhibited higher GFAP and IBA1 expression in the treated eye compared with control, but this was not observed in Donor 3, which was exposed to only 1-hour of IOP elevation. While there were no differences in GFAP protein expression in the retina following the 1-hour IOP elevation in Donor 3, there were higher levels of transcription of GFAP in the inner nuclear layer, and CD44 in the retinal ganglion cell layer, indicative of astrocytic and Müller glial reactivity as well as an early inflammatory response, respectively.We found that transcriptomic differences can be observed across treated and control eyes following unilateral elevation of IOP in brain dead organ donors. The continued development of this model affords the unique opportunity to define the acute mechanotranscriptomic response of the optic nerve head, evaluate the injury and repair mechanisms in the retina in response to IOP elevation, and enable correlation of in vivo imaging and functional testing with ex vivo cellular responses for the first time in the living human eye.

Expression of Autophagy-Related Proteins in Microlissencephaly Associated with a Novel Variant in the WDR81 Gene

Introduction: Microlissencephaly is a subtype of congenital microcephaly characterized by extreme microcephaly with simplified gyral pattern. Other brain malformations may accompany it. WDR81 encodes a multi-domain transmembrane protein that is predominantly expressed in the brain and is thought to play a role in endolysosomal trafficking and autophagy. Methods: We reported two siblings with microlissencephaly born to consanguineous Turkish parents and reviewed all previously reported patients with WDR81 variants presenting with severe microcephaly accompanied by congenital brain malformations. Whole-exome sequencing was performed on both siblings. Sanger DNA sequencing was performed on the patients’ parents. We also examined LC3, p62, and Beclin 1 mRNA and protein expression levels from blood samples of both siblings using real-time PCR and Western blotting, respectively. Results: Whole-exome sequencing revealed a novel biallelic c.4157+5G>A splice variant in the WDR81 gene in both siblings. In our study, LC3, p62, and Beclin 1 mRNA expression levels were high, LC3 protein expression level was also high and p62 and Beclin 1 protein expression levels were low. Conclusion: High LC3 and low p62 protein expression levels supported studies concluding that WDR81 inhibits autophagy through PI3KC3 inhibition, while low Beclin 1 protein expression level supported studies concluding that autophagy is suppressed in case of loss of function variants in the WDR81 gene. We suggest that due to its role in endolysosomal trafficking, WDR81-related diseases should be included in vesicular trafficking disorders.

Association between endometrial protein expression of IFN-γ and delayed conception after parturition in dairy cows.

The cytokine context present in the reproductive tract of cows is closely involved in normal uterine functions, including the estrous cycle and the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy. However, the roles of some cytokines in the uterus, and their relation with reproductive performance remain to be elucidated. Thus, this study aimed to examine the protein expression of several cytokines such as TNFα, IL-6, IL-8, IFNγ, IL-4, and TGF-β3 in endometrial biopsies previous to conception, to evaluate the possible association with delayed conception in dairy cows. Protein expression levels were evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Results showed that the protein expression levels of TNFα, IL-6, IL-4 and TGF-β3 were not associated with the parturition-conception interval, whereas the high protein expression levels of IFNγ were associated with the parturition-conception interval. Finally, the low protein expression of IL-8 showed a statistical tendency to be associated with delayed conception. This is the first report about the protein expression of IFN-γ in the endometrium of dairy cows and also, this cytokine could enhance the favorable conditions to achieve an early pregnancy.

The RNA binding protein IGF2BP2/IMP2 alters the cargo of cancer cell-derived extracellular vesicles supporting tumor-associated macrophages

BackgroundTumor cells release extracellular vesicles (EVs) that contribute to the polarization of macrophages towards tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). High expression levels of the RNA binding protein IGF2BP2/IMP2 are correlated with increased tumor cell proliferation, invasion, and poor prognosis in the clinic. However, there is a lack of understanding of whether IMP2 affects the cargo of cancer cell-derived EVs, thereby modulating macrophage polarization.MethodsEVs were isolated from IMP2-expressing HCT116 parental cells (WT) and CRISPR/Cas9 IMP2 knockout (KO) cells. EVs were characterized according to MISEV guidelines, microRNA cargo was assessed by microRNA-Seq, and the protein cargo was analyzed by proteomics. Primary human monocyte-derived macrophages (HMDMs) were polarized by EVs, and the expression of genes and surface markers was assessed using qPCR and flow cytometry, respectively. Morphological changes of macrophages, as well as the migratory potential of cancer cells, were assessed by the Incucyte® system and macrophage matrix degradation potential by zymography. Changes in the metabolic activity of macrophages were quantified using a Seahorse® analyzer. For in vivo studies, EVs were injected into the yolk sac of zebrafish larvae, and macrophages were isolated by fluorescence-activated cell sorting.ResultsEVs from WT and KO cells had a similar size and concentration and were positive for 25 vesicle markers. The expression of tumor-promoting genes was higher in macrophages polarized with WT EVs than KO EVs, while the expression of TNF and IL6 was reduced. A similar pattern was observed in macrophages from zebrafish larvae treated in vivo. WT EV-polarized macrophages showed a higher abundance of TAM-like surface markers, higher matrix degrading activity, as well as a higher promotion of cancer cell migration. MicroRNA-Seq revealed a significant difference in the microRNA composition of WT and KO EVs, particularly a high abundance of miR-181a-5p in WT EVs, which was absent in KO EVs. Inhibitors of macropinocytosis and phagocytosis antagonized the delivery of miR-181a-5p into macrophages and the downregulation of the miR-181a-5p target DUSP6. Proteomics data showed differences in protein cargo in KO vs. WT EVs, with the differentially abundant proteins mainly involved in metabolic pathways. WT EV-treated macrophages exhibited a higher basal oxygen consumption rate and a lower extracellular acidification rate than KO EV-treated cells.ConclusionOur results show that IMP2 determines the cargo of EVs released by cancer cells, thereby modulating the EVs' actions on macrophages. Expression of IMP2 is linked to the secretion of EVs that polarize macrophages towards a tumor-promoting phenotype.

Prognostic Significance of Bcl-2 Expression in Non-germinal Center B-cell-Like Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCLs) are a group of malignant neoplasms with extensive clinical and molecular heterogeneity. Several key genetic aberrations have been identified, such as those involving the MYC, BCL6, and BCL2 genes. Prior studies on the prognostic significance of Bcl-2 protein expression in DLBCL have been contradictory, with some suggesting it has an adverse effect, while others have shown no such association. Bcl-2 is known to be more highly expressed in the non-germinal centerB-cell-like (non-GCB) subtype compared to germinal centerB-cell-like (GCB) DLBCL. Non-GCB status is associated with a less favorable prognosis. This study aimed to investigate whether the expression of Bcl-2 protein in non-GCB DLBCL influences response to treatment, progression-free survival, or overall survival. In this retrospective study, we investigated whether there was a difference in the clinical outcomes of non-GCB DLBCL cases (n = 97) that were confirmed by immunochemistry to demonstrate high levels of Bcl-2 protein expression (>50% neoplastic cells stained) when compared to those who were deemed negative based on this criterion. Response to rituximab-based induction immunochemotherapy, five-year progression-freesurvival, and five-year overall survival were assessed. There was no statistically significant difference in response to treatment, five-year progression-freesurvival, or five-year overall survival between the patients who were positive for Bcl-2 (n = 70) compared to those who were considered Bcl-2 negative (n = 27). High levels of Bcl-2 protein expression do not appear to be of prognostic significance in non-GCB DLBCL and therefore Bcl-2 may not be a key therapeutic target in the treatment and improvement of clinical outcome in such cases.

A strategy for successful dual-species protein expression of genes with non-optimal codon usage destined for bacterial and yeast cell factories.

Recombinant protein expression on an industrial scale traditionally utilizes one of two microbial workhorses: Escherichia coli or Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Additionally, random protein engineering of enzymes and proteins aimed for expression in S. cerevisiae are often mutagenized and pre-screened in E. coli before expression in yeast. This introduces artificial bottlenecks as the bacterial expression vector needs to be substituted for a yeast expression vector via sub-cloning, and the new library re-evaluated before a final screening in yeast. Here, we put forward a protein expression and engineering strategy that involves the use of a dual-host shuttle vector (pYB-Dual) designed with both a strong inducible yeast promoter (pGAL1), and a strong inducible bacterial promoter (pT7-RNAP), which allows for inducible protein expression in both species. Additionally, we demonstrate that by transforming the pYB-Dual vector into the E. coli strain Rosetta 2, which has elevated levels of 7 rare tRNAs, we can achieve high-level protein expression in both yeast and bacteria, even when using a mNeonGreen gene codon optimized for yeast. This dual expression vector is expected to remove bottlenecks during protein engineering of commercially important enzymes destined for high-titer expression in yeast.

Identifying Potential Drug Targets for Keloid: A Mendelian Randomization Study

Keloids are a skin fibrosis disease characterized by troublesome symptoms, a varying degree of recurrence and inevitable side effects from treatments. Thus, identifying their drug targets is necessary. A 2-sample Mendelian randomization analysis was conducted using proteins from the intersection of the deCODE database and "The Druggable Genome and Support for Target Identification and Validation in Drug Development" as the exposure variable. The outcome variable was based on recently published GWAS of keloids. Summary data-based Mendelian randomization and colocalization analysis was employed to distinguish pleiotropy from linkage. Candidate targets underwent drug target analysis. The primary findings were validated through single-cell RNA-sequencing data, Western Blot and immunofluorescence staining on keloids. Seven proteins were identified as potential drug targets for keloids. Among these proteins, Hedgehog-interacting protein, neurotrimin [NTM], KLKB1, and CRIPTO showed positive correlations with keloids, while PLXNC1, SCG3 and PDGFD exhibited negative correlations. Combined with the single-cell RNA-sequencing data, NTM, PLXNC1, and PDGFD were found highly expressed in the fibroblasts. NTM showed a significant increase in keloids as compared to normal scars. In accordance with the analysis, higher levels of protein expression of NTM in keloids compared to normal skin was observed. The identified proteins may be appealing drug targets for keloids treatment with a special emphasis on NTM.

High-level expression of codon-optimized Taq DNA polymerase under the control of rhaBAD promoter

A DNA polymerase from Thermus aquaticus remains the most popular among DNA polymerases. It was widely applied in various fields involving the application of polymerase chain reaction (PCR), implying the high commercial value of this enzyme. For this reason, an attempt to obtain a high yield of Taq DNA polymerase is continuously conducted. In this study, the l-rhamnose-inducible promoter rhaBAD was utilized due to its ability to produce recombinant protein under tight control in E. coli expression system. Instead of full-length Taq polymerase, an N-terminal deletion of Taq polymerase was selected. To obtain a high-level expression, we attempted to optimize the codon by reducing the rare codon and GC content, and in a second attempt, we optimized the culture conditions for protein expression. The production of Taq polymerase using the optimum culture condition improved the level of expression by up to 3-fold. This approach further proved that a high level of recombinant protein expression could be achieved by yielding a purified Taq polymerase of about 8.5 mg/L of culture. This is the first research publication on the production of Taq polymerase with N-terminal deletion in E. coli with the control of the rhaBAD promoter system.

High LGALS3 expression induced by HCP5/hsa-miR-27b-3p correlates with poor prognosis and tumor immune infiltration in hepatocellular carcinoma

BackgroundHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is widely recognized for its unfavorable prognosis. Increasing evidence has revealed that LGALS3 has an essential function in initiating and developing several malignancies in humans. Nevertheless, thorough analysis of the expression profile, clinical prognosis, pathway prediction, and immune infiltration of LGALS3 has not been fully explored in HCC.MethodsIn this study, an initial pan-cancer analysis was conducted to investigate the expression and prognosis of LGALS3. Following a comprehensive analysis, which included expression analysis and correlation analysis, noncoding RNAs that contribute to the overexpression of LGALS3 were subsequently identified. This identification was further validated using HCC clinical tissue samples. TIMER2 and GEPIA2 were employed to examine the correlation between LGALS3 and HCP5 with immunological checkpoints, cell chemotaxis, and immune infiltration in HCC. The R program was applied to analyze the expression distribution of immune score in in HCC patients with high and low LGALS3 expression. The expression profiles of immune checkpoints were also analyzed. Use R to perform GSVA analysis in order to explore potential signaling pathways.ResultsFirst, we conducted pan-cancer analysis for LGALS3 expression level through an in-depth analysis of public databases and found that HCC has a high LGALS3 gene and protein expression level, which were then verified in clinical HCC specimens. Meanwhile, high LGALS3 gene expression is related to malignant progression and poor prognosis of HCC. Univariate and multivariate analyses confirmed that LGALS3 could serve as an independent prognostic marker for HCC. Next, by combining comprehensive analysis and validation on HCC clinical tissue samples, we hypothesize that the HCP5/hsa-miR-27b-3p axis could serve as the most promising LGALS3 regulation mechanism in HCC. KEGG and GO analyses highlighted that the LGALS3-related genes were involved in tumor immunity. Furthermore, we detected a significant positive association between LGALS3 and HCP5 with immunological checkpoints, cell chemotaxis, and immune infiltration. In addition, high LGALS3 expression groups had significantly higher immune cell scores and immune checkpoint expression levels. Finally, GSVA analysis was performed to predict potential signaling pathways linked to LGALS3 and HCP5 in immune evasion and metabolic reprogramming of HCC.ConclusionsOur findings indicated that the upregulation of LGALS3 via the HCP5/hsa-miR-27b-3p axis is associated with unfavorable prognosis and increased tumor immune infiltration in HCC.