High expression of MYH9 inhibits apoptosis of non-small cell lung cancer cells through activating the AKT/c-Myc pathway / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the role of myosin heavy chain 9 (MYH9) in regulation of cell proliferation, apoptosis, and cisplatin sensitivity of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).@*METHODS@#Six NSCLC cell lines (A549, H1299, H1975, SPCA1, H322, and H460) and a normal bronchial epithelial cell line (16HBE) were examined for MYH9 expression using Western blotting. Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect MYH9 expression in a tissue microarray containing 49 NSCLC and 43 adjacent tissue specimens. MYH9 knockout cell models were established in H1299 and H1975 cells using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, and the changes in cell proliferation cell were assessed using cell counting kit-8 (CCK8) and clone formation assays; Western blotting and flow cytometry were used to detect apoptosis of the cell models, and cisplatin sensitivity of the cells was evaluated using IC50 assay. The growth of tumor xenografts derived from NSCLC with or without MYH9 knockout was observed in nude mice.@*RESULTS@#MYH9 expression was significantly upregulated in NSCLC (P < 0.001), and the patients with high MYH9 expression had a significantly shorter survival time (P=0.023). In cultured NSCLC cells, MYH9 knockout obviously inhibited cell proliferation (P < 0.001), promoted cell apoptosis (P < 0.05), and increased their chemosensitivity of cisplatin. In the tumor-bearing mouse models, the NSCLC cells with MYH9 knockout showed a significantly lower growth rate (P < 0.05). Western blotting showed that MYH9 knockout inactivated the AKT/c- Myc axis (P < 0.05) to inhibit the expression of BCL2- like protein 1 (P < 0.05), promoted the expression of BH3- interacting domain death agonist and the apoptosis regulator BAX (P < 0.05), and activated apoptosis-related proteins caspase-3 and caspase-9 (P < 0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#High expression of MYH9 contributes to NSCLC progression by inhibiting cell apoptosis via activating the AKT/c-Myc axis.

Clinical characteristics of four children with 3M syndrome and a literature review / 中华医学遗传学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To analyze the clinical features of 3M syndrome and effect of growth hormone therapy.@*METHODS@#Clinical data of four children diagnosed with 3M syndrome by whole exome sequencing at Hunan Children's Hospital from January 2014 to February 2022 were retrospectively analyzed, which included clinical manifestation, results of genetic testing and recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) therapy. A literature review was also carried our for Chinese patients with 3M syndrome.@*RESULTS@#The clinical manifestations of the 4 patients included severe growth retardation, facial dysmorphism and skeletal malformations. Two patients were found to harbor homozygous variants of CUL7 gene, namely c.4717C>T (p.R1573*) and c.967_993delinsCAGCTGG (p.S323Qfs*33). Two patients were found to harbor 3 heterozygous variants of the OBSL1 gene including c.1118G>A (p.W373*), c.458dupG (p.L154Pfs*1002) and c.690dupC (p.E231Rfs*23), among which c.967_993delinsCAGCTGG and c.1118G>A were unreported previously. Eighteen Chinese patients with 3M syndrome were identified through the literature review, including 11 cases (11/18, 61.1%) carrying CUL7 gene variants and 7 cases (7/18, 38.9%) carrying OBSL1 gene variants. The main clinical manifestations were in keeping with previously reported. Four patients were treated with growth hormone, 3 showed obvious growth acceleration, and no adverse reaction was noted.@*CONCLUSION@#3M syndrome has a typical appearance and obvious short stature. To attain accurate diagnosis, genetic testing should be recommended for children with a stature of less than -3 SD and facial dysmorphism. The long-term efficacy of growth hormone therapy for patients with 3M syndrome remains to be observed.

Non-muscle myosin heavy chain 9 gene-related disorders with thrombocytopenia: report of two pedigrees and literature review / 中华儿科杂志

Objective: To summarize the clinical characteristics and gene variants of 2 pedigrees of non-muscle myosin heavy chain 9 related diseases (MYH9-RD) in children. Methods: The basic information, clinical features, gene variants and laboratory tests of MYH9-RD patients from 2 pedigrees confirmed in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University in November 2021 and July 2022 were analyzed retrospectively. "Non-muscle myosin heavy chain 9 related disease" "MYH9" and "children" were used as key words to search at Pubmed database, CNKI and Wanfang database up to February 2023. The MYH9-RD gene variant spectrum and clinical data were analyzed and summarized. Results: Proband 1 (male, 11 years old) sought medical attention due to epistaxis, the eldest sister and second sister of proband 1 only showed excessive menstrual bleeding, the skin and mucous membrane of the their mother were prone to ecchymosis after bumping, the uncle of proband 1 had kidney damage, and the maternal grandmother and maternal great-grandmother of proband 1 had a history of cataracts. There were 7 cases of phenotypic abnormalities in this pedigree. High-throughput sequencing showed that the proband 1 MYH9 gene had c.279C>G (p.N93K) missense variant, and family verification analysis showed that the variant was inherited from the mother. A total of 4 patients including proband 1 and family members were diagnosed with MYH9-RD. The proband 2 (female, 1 year old) sought medical attention duo to fever and cough, and the father's physical examination revealed thrombocytopenia. There were 2 cases of phenotypic abnormalities in this pedigree. High-throughput sequencing showed that there was a c.4270G>A (p.D1424N) missense variant in the proband 2 MYH9 gene, and family verification analysis showed that the variant was inherited from the father. A total of 2 patients including proband 2 and his father were diagnosed with MYH9-RD. A total of 99 articles were retrieved, including 32 domestic literatures and 67 foreign literatures. The MYH9-RD cases totaled 149 pedigrees and 197 sporadic patients, including 2 pedigrees in our study. There were 101 cases with complete clinical data, including 62 sporadic cases and 39 pedigrees. There were 56 males and 45 females, with an average age of 6.9 years old. The main clinical manifestations were thrombocytopenia, skin ecchymosis, and epistaxis. Most patients didn't receive special treatment after diagnosis. Six English literatures related to MYH9-RD caused by c.279C>G mutation in MYH9 gene were retrieved. Italy reported the highest number of cases (3 cases). Twelve literatures related to MYH9-RD caused by c.4270G>A mutation in MYH9 gene were retrieved. China reported the highest number of cases (9 cases). Conclusions: The clinical manifestations of patients in the MYH9-RD pedigrees varied greatly. MYH9 gene c.279C>G and c.4270G>A mutations are the cause of MYH9-RD.

Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma with EML4-ALK Fusion and TP53 Co-mutation Treated with Ensartinib: A Case Report and Literature Review / 中国肺癌杂志

Lung squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) accounts for approximately 30% of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cases and is the second most common histological type of lung cancer. Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive NSCLC accounts for only 2%-5% of all NSCLC cases, and is almost exclusively detected in patients with lung adenocarcinoma. Thus, ALK testing is not routinely performed in the LSCC population, and the efficacy of such treatment for ALK-rearranged LSCC remains unknown. Echinoderm microtubule associated protein like 4 (EML4)-ALK (V1) and TP53 co-mutations were identified by next generation sequencing (NGS) in this patient with advanced LSCC. On December 3, 2020, Ensatinib was taken orally and the efficacy was evaluated as partial response (PR). The progression-free survival (PFS) was 19 months. When the disease progressed, the medication was changed to Loratinib. To our knowledge, Enshatinib created the longest PFS of ALK-mutant LSCC patients treated with targeted therapy since literature review. Herein, we described one case treated by Enshatinib involving a patient with both EML4-ALK and TP53 positive LSCC, and the relevant literatures were reviewed for discussing the treatment of this rare disease.
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Clinical and genetic analysis of eight children with Primary hypertrophic cardiomyopathy / 中华医学遗传学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the clinical and genetic characteristics of eight children with Primary hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).@*METHODS@#Eight children with HCM admitted to the Department of Cardiology of Henan Children's Hospital from January 2018 to December 2021 were selected as the study subjects. Clinical data of the children were collected. Whole exome sequencing was carried out on two children, and trio whole exome sequencing was carried out on the remainder 6 children. Sanger sequencing was used to verify the candidate variants in the children and their parents, and the pathogenicity of the variants was evaluated based on the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG).@*RESULTS@#The patients had included 5 males and 3 females, with their ages ranging from 5 to 13 years old. The average age of diagnosis was (7.87 ± 4.8) years old, and the cardiac phenotype showed non-obstructive HCM in all of the patients. WES has identified variants of the MYH7 gene in 4 children, including c.2155C>T (p.Arg719Trp), c.1208G>A (p.Arg403Gln), c.1358G>A (p.Arg453His), and c.1498G>A (p.Glu500Lys). Based on the guidelines from the ACMG, the first 3 variants were classified as pathogenic, while c.1498G>A (p.Glu500Lys) was classified as likely pathogenic (PM1+PM2_Supporting+PM6+PP3), which was also unreported previously. The remaining four children had all harbored maternal variants, including MYL2: c.173G>A (p.Arg58Gln; classified as pathogenic), TPM1: c.574G>A (p.Glu192Lys) and ACTC1: c.301G>A (p.Glu101Lys)(both were classified as likely pathogenic), and MYBPC3: c.146T>G (p.Ile49Ser; classified as variant of uncertain significance). Seven children were treated with 0.5 ~ 3 mg/(kg·d) propranolol, and their symptoms had improved significantly. They were followed up until September 30, 2022 without further cardiac event.@*CONCLUSION@#Genetic testing can clarify the molecular basis for unexplained cardiomyopathy and provide a basis for clinical diagnosis and genetic counseling. Discovery of the c.1498G>A (p.Glu500Lys) variant has also expanded the spectrum of MYH7 gene mutations underlying HCM.

Kindlin-2 loss in condylar chondrocytes causes spontaneous osteoarthritic lesions in the temporomandibular joint in mice / 国际口腔科学杂志·英文版

The progressive destruction of condylar cartilage is a hallmark of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) osteoarthritis (OA); however, its mechanism is incompletely understood. Here, we show that Kindlin-2, a key focal adhesion protein, is strongly detected in cells of mandibular condylar cartilage in mice. We find that genetic ablation of Kindlin-2 in aggrecan-expressing condylar chondrocytes induces multiple spontaneous osteoarthritic lesions, including progressive cartilage loss and deformation, surface fissures, and ectopic cartilage and bone formation in TMJ. Kindlin-2 loss significantly downregulates the expression of aggrecan, Col2a1 and Proteoglycan 4 (Prg4), all anabolic extracellular matrix proteins, and promotes catabolic metabolism in TMJ cartilage by inducing expression of Runx2 and Mmp13 in condylar chondrocytes. Kindlin-2 loss decreases TMJ chondrocyte proliferation in condylar cartilages. Furthermore, Kindlin-2 loss promotes the release of cytochrome c as well as caspase 3 activation, and accelerates chondrocyte apoptosis in vitro and TMJ. Collectively, these findings reveal a crucial role of Kindlin-2 in condylar chondrocytes to maintain TMJ homeostasis.

Diagnosis of a child with mitochondrial myopathy and cerebellar atrophy with ataxia due to compound heterozygous variants of MSTO1 gene / 中华医学遗传学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the genetic basis for a child with myopathy and cerebellar atrophy with ataxia.@*METHODS@#Clinical examinations and laboratory testing were carried out for the patient. The proband and the parents' genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples and subjected to trio whole-exome sequencing. Candidate variant was validated by Sanger sequencing.@*RESULTS@#The 1-year-and-8-month-old boy manifested motor developmental delay, ataxia, hypomyotonia, increased serum creatine kinase. Cranial MRI showed cerebellar atrophy with progressive aggravation. Genetic testing revealed that the patient has harbored compound heterozygous variants of the MSTO1 gene, namely c.13delG (p.Ala5ProfsTer68) and c.971C>T (p.Thr324Ile), which were respectively inherited from his mother and father. The former was unreported previously and was predicted to be likely pathogenic, whilst the latter has been reported previously and was predicted to be of uncertain significance.@*CONCLUSION@#The compound heterozygous c.13delG (p.Ala5ProfsTer68) and c.971C>T (p.Thr324Ile) variants probably underlay the disease in the proband. Above finding has enriched the spectrum of MSTO1 gene variants underlying mitochondrial myopathy and cerebellar atrophy with ataxia.

Whole-transcriptome sequencing analysis of placental differential miRNA expression profile in Down syndrome / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To identify new biomarkers and molecular pathogenesis of Down syndrome (DS) by analyzing differentially expressed miRNAs in the placentas and their biological pathways.@*METHODS@#Whole transcriptome sequencing was used to identify the differentially expressed miRNAs in DS (n=3) and normal placental samples (n=3) diagnosed by prenatal diagnosis. The target genes were predicted using miRWalk, Targetscan and miRDB, and GO and KEGG pathway analyses were performed for gene enrichment studies.@*RESULTS@#We identified a total of 82 differentially expressed miRNAs in the placental tissues of DS, including 29 up-regulated miRNAs (fold change ≥2, P < 0.05) and 15 down-regulated miRNAs (fold change ≥2, P < 0.05), among which 10 miRNAs with relatively high expression abundance were selected for further analysis, including 4 up-regulated and 6 down-regulated miRNAs. These selected miRNAs shared the common target genes BTBD3 and AUTS2, both of which were associated with neurodevelopment. GO analysis showed that the target genes of the selected miRNAs were mainly enriched in protein binding, hydrolytic enzymes, metal ion binding protein combining, transferase activity, nucleotide, cytoplasmic constituents, nucleus composition, transcriptional regulation, RNA metabolism regulation, DNA-dependent RNA polymerase Ⅱ promoter transcriptional regulation, eye development, and sensory organ development. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that the target genes of these differentially expressed miRNAs were involved in the signaling pathways including tumor-related signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, Ras signaling pathway, Rap1 signaling pathway, cytoskeletal regulatory signaling pathway, purine metabolization-related signaling pathway and P53 signaling pathway.@*CONCLUSION@#The differentially expressed miRNAs may play important roles in placental damage and pregnancy pathology in DS and provide clues for the prevention and treatment of mental retardation-related diseases.

Clinical and molecular genetic analysis of a patient with 3-M syndrome / 中华医学遗传学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To analyze the clinical features and molecular genetic etiology of a patient with 3-M (Miller McKusick Malvaux) syndrome from a consanguineous parentage family, and to explore the relationship between genotype and phenotype.@*METHODS@#After the consent of the proband's guardian and the informed consent form was signed, DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples of the proband and her parents for chromosome microarray analysis, medical exome sequencing and parental verification.@*RESULTS@#A total of 247.1 Mb loss of heterozygosity was found in the proband with a CytoScan 750K array. Furthermore, a homozygous variant (c.458dupG) of the OBSL1 gene was found using high-throughput sequencing, which was inherited from her parents. Based on the criteria and guidelines of genetic variation of American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, the variant is predicted to be pathogenic (PVS1+PM2+PP4), and only one case was reported previously.@*CONCLUSION@#Spina bifida occulta and lower eyelid fat pad may be a special phenotype of c.458dupG variant of the OBSL1 gene. Our study may provide a useful reference for evaluating the relationship between genotype and phenotype of 3-M syndrome type 2.

LPS stimulating neutrophils firmly adhered to ICAM-1 to form extracellular traps depends on integrin Mac-1 and cytoskeletal proteins / 生物医学工程学杂志

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) play an important role in the formation of immunothrombosis. However, how vascular endothelial cells mediate the formation of NETs has not been fully understood. We stimulated neutrophils firmly attached on the endothelial cell surface intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) for 4 h, then labeled NETs-DNA with Sytox green dye and the formation of NETs was observed by fluorescent microscopy. The area and fluorescence intensity of NETs-DNA were analyzed to quantify the formation of NETs. The results showed that both PMA and LPS were able to induce firmly adhered neutrophils on ICAM-1 to produce NETs. NETs induced by PMA were independent of neither β2 integrin lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1) nor macrophage antigen complex-1 (Mac-1). In contrast, LPS-stimulated NETs were mediated by Mac-1 integrin, but not by LFA-1. After inhibition of actin filaments or Talin-1, the formation of NETs irrespective of the stimulus was significantly reduced. This study reveals the mechanism of the direct interaction between neutrophils and endothelial cells to produce NETs under inflammatory conditions, providing a new theoretical basis for the treatment of related diseases and the development of new drugs.

Ezrin Promotes the Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion of Ovarian Cancer Cells / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

Objective@#The underlying mechanism of Ezrin in ovarian cancer (OVCA) is far from being understood. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the role of Ezrin in OVCA cells (SKOV3 and CaOV3) and investigate the associated molecular mechanisms.@*Methods@#We performed Western blotting, reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, MTT, cell colony, cell wound healing, transwell migration and invasion, RhoA and Rac active pull down assays, and confocal immunofluorescence experiments to evaluate the functions and molecular mechanisms of Ezrin overexpression or knockdown in the proliferation and metastasis of OVCA cells.@*Results@#The ectopic expression of Ezrin significantly increased cell proliferation, invasiveness, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in OVCA cells. By contrast, the knockdown of endogenous Ezrin prevented OVCA cell proliferation, invasiveness, and EMT. Lastly, we observed that Ezrin can positively regulate the active forms of RhoA rather than Rac-1 in OVCA cells, thereby promoting robust stress fiber formation.@*Conclusion@#Our results indicated that Ezrin regulates OVCA cell proliferation and invasiveness by modulating EMT and induces actin stress fiber formation by regulating Rho-GTPase activity, which provides novel insights into the treatment of the OVCA.

The mechanism of enriched environment repairing the learning and memory impairment in offspring of prenatal stress by regulating the expression of activity-regulated cytoskeletal-associated and insulin-like growth factor-2 in hippocampus

BACKGROUND@#Prenatal stress can cause neurobiological and behavioral defects in offspring; environmental factors play a crucial role in regulating the development of brain and behavioral; this study was designed to test and verify whether an enriched environment can repair learning and memory impairment in offspring rats induced by prenatal stress and to explore its mechanism involving the expression of insulin-like growth factor-2 (IGF-2) and activity-regulated cytoskeletal-associated protein (Arc) in the hippocampus of the offspring.@*METHODS@#Rats were selected to establish a chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) model during pregnancy. Offspring were weaned on 21st day and housed under either standard or an enriched environment. The learning and memory ability were tested using Morris water maze and Y-maze. The expression of IGF-2 and Arc mRNA and protein were respectively measured by using RT-PCR and Western blotting.@*RESULTS@#There was an elevation in the plasma corticosterone level of rat model of maternal chronic stress during pregnancy. Maternal stress's offspring exposed to an enriched environment could decrease their plasma corticosterone level and improve their weight. The offspring of maternal stress during pregnancy exhibited abnormalities in Morris water maze and Y-maze, which were improved in an enriched environment. The expression of IGF-2, Arc mRNA, and protein in offspring of maternal stress during pregnancy was boosted and some relationships existed between these parameters after being exposed enriched environment.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The learning and memory impairment in offspring of prenatal stress can be rectified by the enriched environment, the mechanism of which is related to the decreasing plasma corticosterone and increasing hippocampal IGF-2 and Arc of offspring rats following maternal chronic stress during pregnancy.

Ponatinib inhibits growth of patient-derived xenograft of cholangiocarcinoma expressing FGFR2-CCDC6 fusion protein in nude mice / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the antitumor effect of ponatinib on the growth of cholangiocarcinoma xenograft derived from a clinical patient in a mouse model expressing FGFR2-CCDC6 fusion protein.@*METHODS@#Lung metastatic tumor tissue was collected from a patient with advanced intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and implanted subcutaneously a NOD/SCID/ Il2rg-knockout (NSG) mouse. The tumor tissues were harvested and transplanted in nude mice to establish mouse models bearing patient-derived xenograft (PDX) of cholangiocarcinoma expressing FGFR2-CCDC6 fusion protein. The PDX mouse models were divided into 4 groups for treatment with citrate buffer (control group), intragastric administration of 20 mg/kg ponatinib dissolved in citrate buffer (ponatinib group), weekly intraperitoneal injections of 50 mg/kg gemcitabine and 2.5 mg/ kg cisplatin (gemcitabine group), or ponatinib combined with gemcitabine and cisplatin at the same doses (10 mice in each group, and 9 mice were evaluated in ponatinib group). The expressions of p-FGFR, p-FRS2, p-AKT, p-ERK, CD31, and Ki-67 in the xenografts were evaluated with immunohistochemistry, and cell apoptosis was analyzed with cleaved caspase-3 (CC3) staining and TUNEL staining. Western blotting was used to detect the expressions of FGFR2, p-FGFR, AKT, p-AKT, ERK, p-ERK, FRS2 and p-FRS2 in the tumor tissues.@*RESULTS@#Compared with those in the control group, the mice in ponatinib group showed a significantly reduced tumor volume (@*CONCLUSIONS@#Ponatinib can regulate FGFR signaling to inhibit the proliferation and induce apoptosis of tumor cells in mice bearing patient-derived cholangiocarcinoma xenograft with FGFR2 fusion. FGFR inhibitor can serve as a treatment option for patients with cholangiocarcinoma with FGFR2 fusion.

Characterisation of the in vitro activity of a Nitazoxanide-N-methyl-1H-benzimidazole hybrid molecule against albendazole and nitazoxanide susceptible and resistant strains of Giardia intestinalis and its in vivo giardicidal activity

BACKGROUND It was previously demonstrated that CMC-20, a nitazoxanide and N-methyl-1H-benzimidazole hybrid molecule, had higher in vitro activity against Giardia intestinalis WB strain than metronidazole and albendazole and similar to nitazoxanide. OBJETIVES To evaluate the in vitro activity of CMC-20 against G. intestinalis strains with different susceptibility/resistance to albendazole and nitazoxanide and evaluate its effect on the distribution of parasite cytoskeletal proteins and its in vivo giardicidal activity. METHODS CMC-20 activity was tested against two isolates from patients with chronic and acute giardiasis, an experimentally induced albendazole resistant strain and a nitazoxanide resistant clinical isolate. CMC-20 effect on the distribution of parasite cytoskeletal proteins was analysed by indirect immunofluorescence and its activity was evaluated in a murine model of giardiasis. FINDINGS CMC-20 showed broad activity against susceptible and resistant strains to albendazole and nitaxozanide. It affected the parasite microtubule reservoir and triggered the parasite encystation. In this process, alpha-7.2 giardin co-localised with CWP-1 protein. CMC-20 reduced the infection time and cyst load in feces of G. muris infected mice similar to albendazole. MAIN CONCLUSIONS The in vitro and in vivo giardicidal activity of CMC-20 suggests its potential use in the treatment of giardiasis.

Characterisation of the in vitro activity of a Nitazoxanide-N-methyl-1H-benzimidazole hybrid molecule against albendazole and nitazoxanide susceptible and resistant strains of Giardia intestinalis and its in vivo giardicidal activity

BACKGROUND It was previously demonstrated that CMC-20, a nitazoxanide and N-methyl-1H-benzimidazole hybrid molecule, had higher in vitro activity against Giardia intestinalis WB strain than metronidazole and albendazole and similar to nitazoxanide. OBJETIVES To evaluate the in vitro activity of CMC-20 against G. intestinalis strains with different susceptibility/resistance to albendazole and nitazoxanide and evaluate its effect on the distribution of parasite cytoskeletal proteins and its in vivo giardicidal activity. METHODS CMC-20 activity was tested against two isolates from patients with chronic and acute giardiasis, an experimentally induced albendazole resistant strain and a nitazoxanide resistant clinical isolate. CMC-20 effect on the distribution of parasite cytoskeletal proteins was analysed by indirect immunofluorescence and its activity was evaluated in a murine model of giardiasis. FINDINGS CMC-20 showed broad activity against susceptible and resistant strains to albendazole and nitaxozanide. It affected the parasite microtubule reservoir and triggered the parasite encystation. In this process, alpha-7.2 giardin co-localised with CWP-1 protein. CMC-20 reduced the infection time and cyst load in feces of G. muris infected mice similar to albendazole. MAIN CONCLUSIONS The in vitro and in vivo giardicidal activity of CMC-20 suggests its potential use in the treatment of giardiasis.

Integrative molecular characterization of Chinese prostate cancer specimens / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

Prostate cancer (PCa) exhibits epidemiological and molecular heterogeneity. Despite extensive studies of its phenotypic and genetic properties in Western populations, its molecular basis is not clear in Chinese patients. To determine critical molecular characteristics and explore correlations between genomic markers and clinical parameters in Chinese populations, we applied an integrative genetic/transcriptomic assay that combines targeted next-generation sequencing and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) on samples from 46 Chinese patients with PCa. Lysine (K)-specific methyltransferase 2D (KMT2D), zinc finger homeobox 3 (ZFHX3), A-kinase anchoring protein 9 (AKAP9), and GLI family zinc finger 1 (GLI1) were frequently mutated in our cohort. Moreover, a clinicopathological analysis showed that RB transcriptional corepressor 1 (RB1) deletion was common in patients with a high risk of disease progression. Remarkably, four genomic events, MYC proto-oncogene (MYC) amplification, RB1 deletion, APC regulator of WNT signaling pathway (APC) mutation or deletion, and cyclin-dependent kinase 12 (CDK12) mutation, were correlated with poor disease-free survival. In addition, a close link between KMT2D expression and the androgen receptor (AR) signaling pathway was observed both in our cohort and in The Cancer Genome Atlas Prostate Adenocarcinoma (TCGA-PRAD) data. In summary, our results demonstrate the feasibility and benefits of integrative molecular characterization of PCa samples in disease pathology research and personalized medicine.

Comparative analysis of a panel of biomarkers related to protein phosphatase 2A between laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma tissues and adjacent normal tissues / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) is the most common type of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) worldwide. Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) dysfunction has been widely reported in a broad range of malignancies due to its distinctive role in miscellaneous cellular processes. However, it is poorly understood whether aberrant alterations of PP2A are involved in the network of oncogenic events in LSCC. Here, we detected a panel of PP2A-associated proteins using western blot in both laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma tissues and paired adjacent normal tissues from patients (Data S1). We found that phospho-PP2A/C (Y307), α4, cancerous inhibitor of protein phosphatase 2A (CIP2A), Akt, ezrin, phospho-ezrin (T567), 14-3-3, and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) showed increased expression levels in carcinoma tissues relative to normal tissues, while phospho-Akt (T308) showed decreased levels. Our study, thus, provides a rationale for targeting PP2A to develop novel therapies and proposes a combination of interrelated biomarkers for the diagnostic evaluation and prognosis prediction in LSCC.

Analysis of MYH3 gene variation and prenatal diagnosis for two pedigrees affected with congenital arthrogryposis / 中华医学遗传学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the genetic etiology of two pedigrees affected with congenital arthrogryposis.@*METHODS@#Whole exome sequencing (WES) was used to screen potential variations in the proband. Suspected variations were analyzed with bioinformatics software and validated by Sanger sequencing.@*RESULTS@#A heterozygous c.1123G>A (p.Glu375Lys) variation was detected in the proband and an affected fetus from pedigree 1, while a de novo heterozygous c.118 G>A (p.Val40Met) variation was detected in an affected fetus from pedigree 2.@*CONCLUSION@#The two heterozygous variations of the MYH3 gene probably underlie the disease in the pedigrees. Above results have facilitated genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis.

Analysis of MYOC gene variants among sporadic patients with primary open-angle glaucoma / 中华医学遗传学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To screen for MYOC gene variants among sporadic patients with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG).@*METHODS@#For 398 patients with POAG, Sanger sequencing was applied to detect potential variants of the MYOC gene.@*RESULTS@#Eight patients (2.0%) were found to harbor variations of the MYOC gene. These included five types of variants, among which c.667C>T (p.Pro223Ser) and c.1138G>T (p.Asp380Tyr) were novel. c.382C>T (p.Arg128Trp), c.1109C>T(p.Pro370Leu) and c.1130C>A (p.Thr377Lys) were previously associated with POAG. Alignment of amino acid sequences of MYOC proteins of various species revealed that the two novel variants have occurred at highly conserved positions. c.1138G>T was predicted to be possible pathogenic by Bioinformatic analysis.@*CONCLUSION@#Two novel variants of the MYOC gene were detected among sporadic POAG patients, which enriched its variant spectrum.

Quantitative Proteomic Analysis Reveals Impaired Axonal Guidance Signaling in Human Postmortem Brain Tissues of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a distinct neurodegenerative disease that associated with repetitive head trauma. CTE is neuropathologically defined by the perivascular accumulation of abnormally phosphorylated tau protein in the depths of the sulci in the cerebral cortices. In advanced CTE, hyperphosphorylated tau protein deposits are found in widespread regions of brain, however the mechanisms of the progressive neurodegeneration in CTE are not fully understood. In order to identify which proteomic signatures are associated with CTE, we prepared RIPA-soluble fractions and performed quantitative proteomic analysis of postmortem brain tissue from individuals neuropathologically diagnosed with CTE. We found that axonal guidance signaling pathwayrelated proteins were most significantly decreased in CTE. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis showed that axonal signaling pathway-related proteins were down regulated in neurons and oligodendrocytes and neuron-specific cytoskeletal proteins such as TUBB3 and CFL1 were reduced in the neuropils and cell body in CTE. Moreover, oligodendrocyte-specific proteins such as MAG and TUBB4 were decreased in the neuropils in both gray matter and white matter in CTE, which correlated with the degree of axonal injury and degeneration. Our findings indicate that deregulation of axonal guidance proteins in neurons and oligodendrocytes is associated with the neuropathology in CTE. Together, altered axonal guidance proteins may be potential pathological markers for CTE.