ABSTRACT
Plasma membrane proteolipid 3 (PMP3) is a class of small hydrophobic proteins found in many organisms including higher plants. Some plant PMP3 genes have been shown to respond to abiotic stresses and to participate in the processes of plant stress tolerance. In this study, we isolated the cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) MePMP3-2 gene and functionally characterized its role in tolerance to abiotic stress by expressing it in rice (Oryza sativa L.). MePMP3-2 encodes a 77-amino acid protein belonging to a subgroup of plant PMP3s that have long hydrophylic C-terminal tails of unknown function. In silico analysis and co-localization studies indicated that MePMP3-2 is a plasma membrane protein with two transmembrane domains, similar to other PMP3s. In cassava leaves, MePMP3-2 expression was up-regulated by salt and drought stresses. Heterologous constitutive expression of MePMP3-2 in rice did not alter plant growth and development but increased tolerance to salt and drought stresses. In addition, under stress conditions MePMP3-2 transgenic plants accumulated less malondialdehyde, had increased levels of proline, and exhibited greater up-regulation of the stress-related genes OsProT and OsP5CS, but led to only minor changes in OsDREB2A and OsLEA3 expression. These findings indicate that MePMP3-2 may play an important role in salt and drought stress tolerance in transgenic rice.
Subject(s)
Adaptation, Physiological , Gene Expression Regulation, Plant , Manihot/physiology , Membrane Proteins/physiology , Oryza/physiology , Plant Proteins/physiology , Plants, Genetically Modified , Amino Acid Sequence , Computer Simulation , Droughts , Manihot/genetics , Manihot/metabolism , Membrane Proteins/chemistry , Membrane Proteins/genetics , Membrane Proteins/metabolism , Molecular Sequence Data , Oryza/genetics , Oryza/metabolism , Phylogeny , Plant Proteins/chemistry , Plant Proteins/genetics , Plant Proteins/metabolism , Proteolipids/physiology , Salt Tolerance , Sequence Alignment , Up-RegulationABSTRACT
We studied the immunomodulatory and clinical effects of the empirical formula "tiaomian III decoction" on maternal blood blocking antibody deficiency and recurrent spontaneous abortion. Sixty-one patients with blocking antibody deficiency were divided in the experimental group (N = 31), who took tiaomian III decoction, and the control group (N = 30), who received active immunotherapy with paternal lymphocytes; both treatments lasted 3 months. Blocking antibodies, anti-idiotypic antibodies, interleukin, T-lymphocyte subsets, and macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) were tested. After treatment, the positive conversion rate reached 87.1 and 86.7% in the experimental and control groups, respectively. After treatment, CD4 levels decreased while CD8 levels increased in both groups. The CD4/CD8 ratio was higher than normal and increased significantly from pre-treatment (P < 0.05). IL-10 and M-CSF levels increased significantly in both groups (P < 0.05). The 1-year conception rates of the experimental and control groups were 58.1 and 46.7%, respectively (P < 0.05). The results show the tiaomian III decoction can increase the positive conversion rate of maternal blocking antibodies and promote the production of IL-10 and M-CSF. Thus, it strengthens the maternal body's protection of the fetus and maintenance of conception. The higher conception rate of the experimental group demonstrates the positive clinic efficacy of the tiaomian III decoction on maternal blood blocking antibody deficiency and recurrent spontaneous abortion.
Subject(s)
Abortion, Habitual/drug therapy , Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use , Fertility Agents/therapeutic use , Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes/drug therapy , Immunologic Factors/therapeutic use , Abortion, Habitual/immunology , Adult , Antibodies, Blocking/blood , Female , Humans , Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes/immunology , Pregnancy , T-Lymphocyte Subsets/drug effects , T-Lymphocyte Subsets/immunology , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: A variety of inflammatory cytokines have been demonstrated to participate in tumorigenesis and progression. Secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) has been demonstrated to show a broad-spectrum of anti-inflammatory effects. This study investigates the expression of SLPI in human pancreatic cancer tissues and cells as well as its biological effects in human pancreatic cancer cells. METHODS: Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemistry, and Western blot were used to detect SLPI mRNA and protein levels in human pancreatic cancer tissues, adjacent tissues, and pancreatic cancer Bxpc-3 and Panc-1 cells. Knockout of SLPI expression was established by recombinant viral vector expressing short hairpin RNA (shRNA) targeting SLPI. Cell viability was analyzed by MTT assay. Cell apoptosis was detected by Hochest33258 staining and flow cytometry assay. RESULTS: Higher SLPI expression was observed in pancreatic tissues, Bxpc-3 cells, and Panc-1 cells compared to the peritumoral tissues (p < 0.01). SLPI expression in Bxpc-3 and Panc-1 cells was effectively silenced by shRNA (p < 0.001). Silencing of SLPI expression significantly reduced cell viability, inhibited cell proliferation, and induced cell apoptosis (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Abnormal over-expression of SLPI in pancreatic cancer cells may be associated with the development of disease through its roles in promoting cancer cell survival and proliferation as well as anti-apoptosis. SLPI can be used as a target for developing targeted therapy of pancreatic cancer.