Critical Role of CD55 in Controlling Wound Healing.

How reparative processes are coordinated following injury is incompletely understood. In recent studies, we showed that autocrine C3a and C5a receptor (C3ar1 and C5ar1) G protein-coupled receptor signaling plays an obligate role in vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 growth signaling in vascular endothelial cells. We documented the same interconnection for platelet-derived growth factor receptor growth signaling in smooth muscle cells, epidermal growth factor receptor growth signaling in epidermal cells, and fibroblast growth factor receptor signaling in fibroblasts, indicative of a generalized cell growth regulatory mechanism. In this study, we examined one physiological consequence of this signaling circuit. We found that disabling CD55 (also known as decay accelerating factor), which lifts restraint on autocrine C3ar1/C5ar1 signaling, concomitantly augments the growth of each cell type. The mechanism is heightened C3ar1/C5ar1 signaling resulting from the loss of CD55's restraint jointly potentiating growth factor production by each cell type. Examination of the effect of lifted CD55 restraint in four types of injury (burn, corneal denudation, ear lobe puncture, and reengraftment of autologous skin) showed that disabled CD55 function robustly accelerated healing in all cases, whereas disabled C3ar1/C5ar1 signaling universally retarded it. In wild-type mice with burns or injured corneas, applying a mouse anti-mouse CD55 blocking Ab (against CD55's active site) to wounds accelerated the healing rate by 40-70%. To our knowledge, these results provide new insights into mechanisms that underlie wound repair and open up a new tool for accelerating healing.

Global lineage evolution pattern of sars-cov-2 in Africa, America, Europe, and Asia: A comparative analysis of variant clusters and their relevance across continents.

Objective: The objective of this study is to provide a comparative analysis of variant clusters and their relevance across Africa, America, Europe, and Asia, in order to understand the evolutionary patterns of the virus across different regions and to inform the development of targeted interventions and genomic surveillance eforts. Methods: The study analyzed the global lineage evolution pattern of 74, 075 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) genomes from 32 countries across four continents, focusing on variant clusters and their relevance across regions. Variants were weighted according to their hierarchical level. The correlation between variants was visualized through Dimensionality reduction analysis and Pairwise Pearson's correlation. We presented a reconstructed phylogenetic tree based on correlation analysis and variant weights. Results: The analysis revealed that each continent had distinct variant clusters and different evolutionary patterns. The Americas had two clustered variants before lineage divergence and a downstream confluence lineage, Europe had bifurcation into two global lineages with an early occurrence of certain cluster while Asia had a downstream confluence of two large lineages diverging by two distinct clusters. Based on the cluster patterns of shared variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, Africa demonstrated a relatively clear distinction among three distinct regions. Conclusions: The study provides insights into the evolutionary patterns of SARS-CoV-2 and highlights the importance of international collaboration in tracking and responding to emerging variants. The study found that the global pandemic was driven by Omicron variants that evolved with significant differences between countries and regions, and with different patterns across continents.

Longitudinal detection of somatic mutations in saliva and plasma for the surveillance of oral squamous cell carcinomas.

PURPOSES: Although clinical and radiological examinations can be used to diagnose oral cancer, and surgical pathology remains the gold standard, these conventional methods have limitations. We evaluated the feasibility of longitudinal next-generation sequencing-based liquid biopsy for oral squamous cell carcinoma surveillance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eleven patients were enrolled, and plasma and saliva were collected before, and 1, 3, and 6 months after surgery. Tumor-specific mutations were selected using paired, whole-exome analyses of tumor tissues and whole blood. Genes frequently mutated in head and neck cancer were identified using the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Catalogue of Somatic Mutations in Cancer (COSMIC) databases to design targeted deep sequencing panels. RESULTS: In five of the six patients with recurrent cancer, circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) was detected earlier with liquid biopsy than with conventional monitoring techniques. Moreover, patients without recurrence exhibited decreased ctDNA allele frequency post-treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Longitudinal liquid biopsy of plasma and saliva may be feasible for detecting somatic mutations associated with oral squamous cell carcinomas. It might be attributable to determine early tumor recurrence through genetic analysis of ctDNA.

Metformin reduces saturated fatty acid-induced lipid accumulation and inflammatory response by restoration of autophagic flux in endothelial cells.

Autophagy, an integral part of the waste recycling process, plays an important role in cellular physiology and pathophysiology. Impaired autophagic flux causes ectopic lipid deposition, which is defined as the accumulation of lipids in non-adipose tissue. Ectopic lipid accumulation is observed in patients with cardiometabolic syndrome, including obesity, diabetes, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular complications. Metformin is the first line of treatment for type 2 diabetes, and one of the underlying mechanisms for the anti-diabetic effect of metformin is mediated by the stimulation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Because the activation of AMPK is crucial for the initiation of autophagy, we hypothesize that metformin reduces the accumulation of lipid droplets by increasing autophagic flux in vascular endothelial cells. Incubation of vascular endothelial cells with saturated fatty acid (SFA) increased the accumulation of lipid droplets and impaired autophagic flux. We observed that the accumulation of lipid droplets was reduced, and the autophagic flux was enhanced by treatment with metformin. The knock-down of AMPKα by using siRNA blunted the effect of metformin. Furthermore, treatment with SFA or inhibition of autophagy increased leukocyte adhesion, whereas treatment with metformin decreased the SFA-induced leukocyte adhesion. The results suggest a novel mechanism by which metformin protects vascular endothelium from SFA-induced ectopic lipid accumulation and pro-inflammatory responses. In conclusion, improving autophagic flux may be a therapeutic strategy to protect endothelial function from dyslipidemia and diabetic complications.

Author Correction: Dysregulated JAK2 expression by TrkC promotes metastasis potential, and EMT program of metastatic breast cancer.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

A Small Molecule, UAB126, Reverses Diet-Induced Obesity and its Associated Metabolic Disorders.

Targeting retinoid X receptor (RXR) has been proposed as one of the therapeutic strategies to treat individuals with metabolic syndrome, as RXR heterodimerizes with multiple nuclear receptors that regulate genes involved in metabolism. Despite numerous efforts, RXR ligands (rexinoids) have not been approved for clinical trials to treat metabolic syndrome due to the serious side effects such as hypertriglyceridemia and altered thyroid hormone axis. In this study, we demonstrate a novel rexinoid-like small molecule, UAB126, which has positive effects on metabolic syndrome without the known side effects of potent rexinoids. Oral administration of UAB126 ameliorated obesity, insulin resistance, hepatic steatosis, and hyperlipidemia without changes in food intake, physical activity, and thyroid hormone levels. RNA-sequencing analysis revealed that UAB126 regulates the expression of genes in the liver that are modulated by several nuclear receptors, including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α and/or liver X receptor in conjunction with RXR. Furthermore, UAB126 not only prevented but also reversed obesity-associated metabolic disorders. The results suggest that optimized modulation of RXR may be a promising strategy to treat metabolic disorders without side effects. Thus, the current study reveals that UAB126 could be an attractive therapy to treat individuals with obesity and its comorbidities.

Destablilization of TRAF6 by DRAK1 Suppresses Tumor Growth and Metastasis in Cervical Cancer Cells.

The adaptor protein TNF receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6) is a key mediator in inflammation. However, the molecular mechanisms controlling its activity and stability in cancer progression remain unclear. Here we show that death-associated protein kinase-related apoptosis-inducing kinase 1 (DRAK1) inhibits the proinflammatory signaling pathway by targeting TRAF6 for degradation, thereby suppressing inflammatory signaling-mediated tumor growth and metastasis in advanced cervical cancer cells. DRAK1 bound directly to the TRAF domain of TRAF6, preventing its autoubiquitination by interfering with homo-oligomerization, eventually leading to autophagy-mediated degradation of TRAF6. Depletion of DRAK1 in cervical cancer cells resulted in markedly increased levels of TRAF6 protein, promoting activation of the IL1ß signaling-associated pathway and proinflammatory cytokine production. DRAK1 was specifically underexpressed in metastatic cervical cancers and inversely correlated with TRAF6 expression in mouse xenograft model tumor tissues and human cervical tumor tissues. Collectively, our findings highlight DRAK1 as a novel antagonist of inflammation targeting TRAF6 for degradation that limits inflammatory signaling-mediated progression of advanced cervical cancer. SIGNIFICANCE: Serine/threonine kinase DRAK1 serves a unique role as a novel negative regulator of the inflammatory signaling mediator TRAF6 in cervical cancer progression.

Identification of novel candidate variants including COL6A6 polymorphisms in early-onset atopic dermatitis using whole-exome sequencing.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of atopic dermatitis has increased over the last 10 years. Atopic dermatitis tends to run in families and commonly begins to manifest in childhood. The prevalence of atopic dermatitis is as high as 20% in children. Thus, early diagnosis and treatment of atopic dermatitis are important. Understanding its genetic basis is also needed to facilitate early detection. METHODS: To identify family-specific candidate genetic variants associated with early-onset atopic dermatitis in Koreans, we carried out whole-exome sequencing of three separate families with this condition. Additional validation was performed in 112 AD patients and 61 controls using Sanger sequencing. RESULTS: We focused on both common functional variants with a minor allele frequency higher than 1% and rare variants with a minor allele frequency less than 1%. The relevance of the respective variants was supported by a program that could predict whether the mutations resulted in damaged protein function. Fourteen overlapping genes were identified during exome sequencing. Three variants of the COL6A6 gene appeared in all three families and were in close proximity to atopic dermatitis-related loci on chromosome 3q21. The homozygous frequency for the rs16830494 minor allele (AA) and the rs59021909 (TT) allele and the rs200963433 heterozygous (CT) frequency were all higher in AD cases compared to controls in a population-based case-control study. CONCLUSION: Identifying family-specific COL6A6 polymorphisms and genetic variants of other candidate genes associated with AD using WES is a novel approach. Our study suggests that COL6A6 variants may be risk factors for atopic dermatitis. This study provides a genetic basis for early-onset AD diagnosis in Korean patients and the development of new therapies. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Trial registration number: IRB NO. C2008030 (133); Name of registry: The collection research of clinical data and patient blood to identify genetic and protein biomarker of atopic dermatitis; Date of registration: 09-July-2008. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: IRB NO. C2015258 (1716); Name of registry: The collection study of patient blood and clinical data for the development of the prognosis prediction and early diagnosis of atopic dermatitis; Date of registration: 15-jan-2016.

Dysregulated JAK2 expression by TrkC promotes metastasis potential, and EMT program of metastatic breast cancer.

Metastatic breast cancers are aggressive tumors associated with high levels of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers, activation of IL6/JAK2/STAT3 and PI3K/AKT pathways for cell growth, mobility, invasion, metastasis, and CSC status. We identified a new molecular and functional network present in metastasis that regulates and coordinates with TrkC. Inhibition of SOCS3-mediated JAK2 degradation by TrkC increases total JAK2/STAT3 expression, and then leads to upregulation of Twist-1 through activation of JAK2/STAT3 cascade. Also, TrkC increases secretion and expression of IL-6, suggesting that this autocrine loop generated by TrkC maintains the mesenchymal state by continued activation of the JAK2/STAT3 cascade and upregulation of Twist expression. Moreover, TrkC interacts with the c-Src/Jak2 complex, which increases Twist-1 and Twist-2 levels via regulation of JAK2/STAT3 activation and JAK2/STAT3 expression. Furthermore, TrkC enhances metastatic potential of breast cancer via induction of EMT by upregulating Twist-1 and Twist-2. Additionally, TrkC significantly enhances the ability of breast cancer cells to form pulmonary metastases and primary tumor formation. Unexpectedly, we found that TrkC expression and clinical breast tumor pathological phenotypes show significant correlation. These findings suggest that TrkC plays a central role in tumorigenicity, metastasis, and self-renewal traits of metastatic breast cancer.

Amyloid-ß precursor protein promotes cell proliferation and motility of advanced breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Amyloid-ß precursor protein (APP) is a highly conserved single transmembrane protein that has been linked to Alzheimer disease. Recently, the increased expression of APP in multiple types of cancers has been reported where it has significant correlation with the cancer cell proliferation. However, the function of APP in the pathogenesis of breast cancer has not previously been determined. In this study, we studied the pathological role of APP in breast cancer and revealed its potential mechanism. METHODS: The expression level of APP in multiple breast cancer cell lines was measured by Western blot analysis and the breast cancer tissue microarray was utilized to analyze the expression pattern of APP in human patient specimens. To interrogate the functional role of APP in cell growth and apoptosis, the effect of APP knockdown in MDA-MB-231 cells were analyzed. Specifically, multiple signal transduction pathways and functional alterations linked to cell survival and motility were examined in in vivo animal model as well as in vitro cell culture with the manipulation of APP expression. RESULTS: We found that the expression of APP is increased in mouse and human breast cancer cell lines, especially in the cell line possessing higher metastatic potential. Moreover, the analysis of human breast cancer tissues revealed a significant correlation between the level of APP and tumor development. Knockdown of APP (APP-kd) in breast cancer cells caused the retardation of cell growth in vitro and in vivo, with both the induction of p27(kip1) and caspase-3-mediated apoptosis. APP-kd cells also had higher sensitivity to treatment of chemotherapeutic agents, TRAIL and 5-FU. Such anti-tumorigenic effects shown in the APP-kd cells partially came from reduced pro-survival AKT activation in response to IGF-1, leading to activation of key signaling regulators for cell growth, survival, and pro-apoptotic events such as GSK3-ß and FOXO1. Notably, knock-down of APP in metastatic breast cancer cells limited cell migration and invasion ability upon stimulation of IGF-1. CONCLUSION: The present data strongly suggest that the increase of APP expression is causally linked to tumorigenicity as well as invasion of aggressive breast cancer and, therefore, the targeting of APP may be an effective therapy for breast cancer.

New insights into the mechanisms of polyphenols beyond antioxidant properties; lessons from the green tea polyphenol, epigallocatechin 3-gallate.

Green tea is rich in polyphenol flavonoids including catechins. Epigallocatechin 3-gallate (EGCG) is the most abundant and potent green tea catechin. EGCG has been extensively studied for its beneficial health effects as a nutriceutical agent. Based upon its chemical structure, EGCG is often classified as an antioxidant. However, treatment of cells with EGCG results in production of hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radicals in the presence of Fe (III). Thus, EGCG functions as a pro-oxidant in some cellular contexts. Recent investigations have revealed many other direct actions of EGCG that are independent from anti-oxidative mechanisms. In this review, we discuss these novel molecular mechanisms of action for EGCG. In particular, EGCG directly interacts with proteins and phospholipids in the plasma membrane and regulates signal transduction pathways, transcription factors, DNA methylation, mitochondrial function, and autophagy to exert many of its beneficial biological actions.

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) stimulates autophagy in vascular endothelial cells: a potential role for reducing lipid accumulation.

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is a major polyphenol in green tea that has beneficial effects in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Autophagy is a cellular process that protects cells from stressful conditions. To determine whether the beneficial effect of EGCG is mediated by a mechanism involving autophagy, the roles of the EGCG-stimulated autophagy in the context of ectopic lipid accumulation were investigated. Treatment with EGCG increased formation of LC3-II and autophagosomes in primary bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC). Activation of calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase ß was required for EGCG-induced LC3-II formation, as evidenced by the fact that EGCG-induced LC3-II formation was significantly impaired by knockdown of calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase ß. This effect is most likely due to cytosolic Ca(2+) load. To determine whether EGCG affects palmitate-induced lipid accumulation, the effects of EGCG on autophagic flux and co-localization of lipid droplets and autophagolysosomes were examined. EGCG normalized the palmitate-induced impairment of autophagic flux. Accumulation of lipid droplets by palmitate was markedly reduced by EGCG. Blocking autophagosomal degradation opposed the effect of EGCG in ectopic lipid accumulation, suggesting the action of EGCG is through autophagosomal degradation. The mechanism for this could be due to the increased co-localization of lipid droplets and autophagolysosomes. Co-localization of lipid droplets with LC3 and lysosome was dramatically increased when the cells were treated with EGCG and palmitate compared with the cells treated with palmitate alone. Collectively, these findings suggest that EGCG regulates ectopic lipid accumulation through a facilitated autophagic flux and further imply that EGCG may be a potential therapeutic reagent to prevent cardiovascular complications.

Toll-like receptor 2 mediates high-fat diet-induced impairment of vasodilator actions of insulin.

Obesity is characterized by a chronic proinflammatory state that leads to endothelial dysfunction. Saturated fatty acids (SFA) stimulate Toll-like receptors (TLR) that promote metabolic insulin resistance. However, it is not known whether TLR2 mediates impairment of vascular actions of insulin in response to high-fat diet (HFD) to cause endothelial dysfunction. siRNA knockdown of TLR2 in primary endothelial cells opposed palmitate-stimulated expression of proinflammatory cytokines and splicing of X box protein 1 (XBP-1). Inhibition of unfolding protein response (UPR) reduced SFA-stimulated expression of TNFα. Thus, SFA stimulates UPR and proinflammatory response through activation of TLR2 in endothelial cells. Knockdown of TLR2 also opposed impairment of insulin-stimulated phosphorylation of eNOS and subsequent production of NO. Importantly, insulin-stimulated vasorelaxation of mesenteric arteries from TLR2 knockout mice was preserved even on HFD (in contrast with results from arteries examined in wild-type mice on HFD). We conclude that TLR2 in vascular endothelium mediates HFD-stimulated proinflammatory responses and UPR that accompany impairment of vasodilator actions of insulin, leading to endothelial dysfunction. These results are relevant to understanding the pathophysiology of the cardiovascular complications of diabetes and obesity.

TRAF6 mediates IL-1ß/LPS-induced suppression of TGF-ß signaling through its interaction with the type III TGF-ß receptor.

Transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1) is an important anti-inflammatory cytokine that modulates and resolves inflammatory responses. Recent studies have demonstrated that inflammation enhances neoplastic risk and potentiates tumor progression. In the evolution of cancer, pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1ß must overcome the anti-inflammatory effects of TGF-ß to boost pro-inflammatory responses in epithelial cells. Here we show that IL-1ß or Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) suppresses TGF-ß-induced anti-inflammatory signaling in a NF-κB-independent manner. TRAF6, a key molecule in IL-1ß signaling, mediates this suppressive effect through interaction with the type III TGF-ß receptor (TßRIII), which is TGF-ß-dependent and requires type I TGF-ß receptor (TßRI) kinase activity. TßRI phosphorylates TßRIII at residue S829, which promotes the TRAF6/TßRIII interaction and consequent sequestration of TßRIII from the TßRII/TßRI complex. Our data indicate that IL-1ß enhances the pro-inflammatory response by suppressing TGF-ß signaling through TRAF6-mediated sequestration of TßRIII, which may be an important contributor to the early stages of tumor progression.

TrkC binds to the bone morphogenetic protein type II receptor to suppress bone morphogenetic protein signaling.

TrkC, a member of the tropomyosin-related kinase (Trk) family of neurotrophin receptors, is implicated in the growth and survival of human cancer tissues. TrkC is also a potent oncoprotein expressed in tumors derived from multiple cell lineages, and functions as an active protein tyrosine kinase by neurotrophin-3 (NT-3). We previously reported that TrkC plays an essential role in tumor growth and metastasis in a murine cancer cell line. Here, we report that expression of TrkC suppresses bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2)-induced Smad1 phosphorylation and transcriptional activation. In the highly metastatic CT26 murine colon cancer cell line, which expresses endogenous TrkC, silencing TrkC expression by small interfering RNA significantly enhanced BMP-2-induced Smad1 phosphorylation and restored BMP-2 growth inhibitory activity. In contrast, expression of TrkC in RIE-1 cells, in which TrkC is not expressed, completely suppressed BMP-2 transcriptional activation. Furthermore, we showed that TrkC directly binds to the BMP type II receptor (BMPRII), thereby preventing it from interacting with the BMPRI. This activity requires a functional TrkC protein tyrosine kinase, and the BMPRII seems to be a direct target of TrkC. Our findings provide evidence for a previously unknown mechanism by which TrkC, a neuronal receptor, can block BMP tumor-suppressor activity.