Self-extinguishing relay waves enable homeostatic control of human neutrophil swarming.

Neutrophils collectively migrate to sites of injury and infection. How these swarms are coordinated to ensure the proper level of recruitment is unknown. Using an ex vivo model of infection, we show that human neutrophil swarming is organized by multiple pulsatile chemoattractant waves. These waves propagate through active relay in which stimulated neutrophils trigger their neighbors to release additional swarming cues. Unlike canonical active relays, we find these waves to be self-terminating, limiting the spatial range of cell recruitment. We identify an NADPH-oxidase-based negative feedback loop that is needed for this self-terminating behavior. We observe near-constant levels of neutrophil recruitment over a wide range of starting conditions, revealing surprising robustness in the swarming process. This homeostatic control is achieved by larger and more numerous swarming waves at lower cell densities. We link defective wave termination to a broken recruitment homeostat in the context of human chronic granulomatous disease.

Rare Variant in MRC2 Associated With Familial Supraventricular Tachycardia and Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Accessory pathways are a common cause of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) and can lead to sudden cardiac death in otherwise healthy children and adults when associated with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. The goal of this study was to identify genetic variants within a large family with structurally normal hearts affected by SVT and Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome and determine causality of the gene deficit in a corresponding mouse model. METHODS: Whole exome sequencing performed on 2 distant members of a 3-generation family in which multiple members were affected by SVT or Wolff-Parkinson-White pattern (preexcitation) on ECG identified MRC2 as a candidate gene. Serial electrocardiograms, intracardiac electrophysiology studies, echocardiography, optical mapping studies, and histology were performed on both Mrc2 mutant and WT (wild-type) mice. RESULTS: A rare HET (heterozygous) missense variant c.2969A>G;p.Glu990Gly (E990G) in MRC2 was identified as the leading candidate gene variant segregating with the cardiac phenotype following an autosomal-dominant Mendelian trait segregation pattern with variable expressivity. In vivo electrophysiology studies revealed reentrant SVT in E990G mice. Optical mapping studies in E990G mice demonstrated abnormal retrograde conduction, suggesting the presence of an accessory pathway. Histological analysis of E990G mouse hearts showed a disordered ECM (extracellular matrix) in the annulus fibrosus. Finally, Mrc2 knockdown in human cardiac fibroblasts enhanced accelerated cell migration. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified a rare nonsynonymous variant in the MRC2 gene in individuals with familial reentrant SVT, Wolff-Parkinson-White ECG pattern, and structurally normal hearts. Furthermore, Mrc2 knock-in mice revealed an increased incidence of reentrant SVT and bypass tract formation in the setting of preserved cardiac structure and function.

Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) loop 27 mutants promote cell-to-cell movement and phloem unloading of the wild type: Insights into RNA-based viroid interactions.

Variations in infection progression with concurrent or prior infections by different viruses, viroids, or their strains are evident, but detailed investigations into viroid variant interactions are lacking. We studied potato spindle tuber viroid intermediate strain (PSTVd-I) to explore variant interactions. Two mutants, U177A/A182U (AU, replication- and trafficking-competent) and U178G/U179G (GG, replication-competent but trafficking-defective) on loop 27 increased cell-to-cell movement of wild-type (WT) PSTVd without affecting replication. In mixed infection assays, both mutants accelerated WT phloem unloading, while only AU promoted it in separate leaf assays, suggesting that enhancement of WT infection is not due to systemic signals. The mutants likely enhance WT infection due to their loop-specific functions, as evidenced by the lack of impact on WT infection seen with the distantly located G347U (UU) mutant. This study provides the first comprehensive analysis of viroid variant interactions, highlighting the prolonged phloem unloading process as a significant barrier to systemic spread.

Sizzled (Frzb3) physically interacts with noncanonical Wnt ligands to inhibit gastrulation cell movement.

The coordinated movement of germ layer progenitor cells reaches its peak at the dorsal side, where the Bmp signaling gradient is low, and minimum at the ventral side, where the Bmp gradient is high. This dynamic cell movement is regulated by the interplay of various signaling pathways. The noncanonical Wnt signaling cascade serves as a pivotal regulator of convergence and extension cell movement, facilitated by the activation of small GTPases such as Rho, Rab, and Rac. However, the underlying cause of limited cell movement at the ventral side remains elusive. To explore the functional role of a key regulator in constraining gastrulation cell movement at the ventral side, we investigated the Bmp4-direct target gene, sizzled (szl), to assess its potential role in inhibiting noncanonical Wnt signaling. In our current study, we demonstrated that ectopic expression of szl led to gastrulation defects in a dose-dependent manner without altering cell fate specification. Overexpression of szl resulted in decreased elongation of Activin-treated animal cap and Keller explants. Furthermore, our immunoprecipitation assay unveiled the physical interaction of Szl with noncanonical Wnt ligand proteins (Wnt5 and Wnt11). Additionally, the activation of small GTPases involved in Wnt signaling mediation (RhoA and Rac1) was diminished upon szl overexpression. In summary, our findings suggest that Bmp4 signaling negatively modulates cell movement from the ventral side of the embryo by inducing szl expression during early Xenopus gastrulation.

Clinical significance of downregulated NISCH expression in skin cutaneous melanoma: Modulation of tumor cell invasion, migration, and EMT via PAK1 inhibition.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the expression and functional role of NISCH in skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM), exploring its association with clinical characteristics and its potential impact on human skin melanoma cell behavior. METHODS: The research assessed differential NISCH expression in SKCM tissues using the GEPIA (Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis) database and validated these findings through immunohistochemical staining of 45 clinical samples. To affirm NISCH expression at the cellular level, three human skin melanoma cell lines (RPMI-7951, A375, MEL-5), and the human normal skin cell line HEMa underwent quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting. Transwell experiments evaluated the migration and invasion capabilities of RPMI-7951 and A375 cells post-transduction with NISCH or PAK1 lentiviral activation particles. Additionally, qRT-PCR analysis of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related gene expression (Vimentin, E-cadherin, N-cadherin) was conducted in A375 and RPMI-7951 cells. RESULTS: SKCM tissues exhibited significantly reduced NISCH expression compared to normal tissues. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed predominant nuclear localization of NISCH in melanoma cells, with reduced expression significantly correlating with sex, advanced stage, and lymph node metastasis. Melanoma cell lines displayed lower NISCH expression levels compared to normal skin cells. Functional experiments showcased that NISCH overexpression suppressed p-PAK1/PAK1, while PAK1 upregulation notably increased melanoma cell migration, invasion, and induced EMT. Remarkably, NISCH overexpression counteracted PAK1-induced effects on EMT, migration, and invasion in melanoma cells. CONCLUSION: NISCH may significantly influence the aggressive behavior of SKCM cells via the PAK1 pathway, making it a potential therapeutic target for managing melanoma metastasis.

Modelling non-local cell-cell adhesion: a multiscale approach.

Cell-cell adhesion plays a vital role in the development and maintenance of multicellular organisms. One of its functions is regulation of cell migration, such as occurs, e.g. during embryogenesis or in cancer. In this work, we develop a versatile multiscale approach to modelling a moving self-adhesive cell population that combines a careful microscopic description of a deterministic adhesion-driven motion component with an efficient mesoscopic representation of a stochastic velocity-jump process. This approach gives rise to mesoscopic models in the form of kinetic transport equations featuring multiple non-localities. Subsequent parabolic and hyperbolic scalings produce general classes of equations with non-local adhesion and myopic diffusion, a special case being the classical macroscopic model proposed in Armstrong et al. (J Theoret Biol 243(1): 98-113, 2006). Our simulations show how the combination of the two motion effects can unfold. Cell-cell adhesion relies on the subcellular cell adhesion molecule binding. Our approach lends itself conveniently to capturing this microscopic effect. On the macroscale, this results in an additional non-linear integral equation of a novel type that is coupled to the cell density equation.

Innovative Arylimidazole-Fused Phytovirucides via Carbene-Catalyzed [3+4] Cycloaddition: Locking Viral Cell-To-Cell Movement by Out-Competing Virus Capsid-Host Interactions.

The control of potato virus Y (PVY) induced crop failure is a challengeable issue in agricultural chemistry. Although many anti-PVY agents are designed to focus on the functionally important coat protein (CP) of virus, how these drugs act on CP to inactivate viral pathogenicity, remains largely unknown. Herein, a PVY CP inhibitor -3j (S) is disclosed, which is accessed by developing unusually efficient (up to 99% yield) and chemo-selective (> 99:1 er in most cases) carbene-catalyzed [3+4] cycloaddition reactions. Compound -3j bears a unique arylimidazole-fused diazepine skeleton and shows chirality-preferred performance against PVY. In addition, -3j (S) as a mediator allows ARG191 (R191) of CP to be identified as a key amino acid site responsible for intercellular movement of virions. R191 is further demonstrated to be critical for the interaction between PVY CP and the plant functional protein NtCPIP, enabling virions to cross plasmodesmata. This key step can be significantly inhibited through bonding with the -3j (S) to further impair pathogenic behaviors involving systemic infection and particle assembly. The study reveals the in-depth mechanism of action of antiviral agents targeting PVY CP, and contributes to new drug structures and synthetic strategies for PVY management.

Juvenile hormones direct primordial germ cell migration to the embryonic gonad.

Germ cells are essential to sexual reproduction. Across the animal kingdom, extracellular signaling isoprenoids, such as retinoic acids (RAs) in vertebrates and juvenile hormones (JHs) in invertebrates, facilitate multiple processes in reproduction. Here we investigated the role of these potent signaling molecules in embryonic germ cell development, using JHs in Drosophila melanogaster as a model system. In contrast to their established endocrine roles during larval and adult germline development, we found that JH signaling acts locally during embryonic development. Using an in vivo biosensor, we observed active JH signaling first within and near primordial germ cells (PGCs) as they migrate to the developing gonad. Through in vivo and in vitro assays, we determined that JHs are both necessary and sufficient for PGC migration. Analysis into the mechanisms of this newly uncovered paracrine JH function revealed that PGC migration was compromised when JHs were decreased or increased, suggesting that specific titers or spatiotemporal JH dynamics are required for robust PGC colonization of the gonad. Compromised PGC migration can impair fertility and cause germ cell tumors in many species, including humans. In mammals, retinoids have many roles in development and reproduction. We found that like JHs in Drosophila, RA was sufficient to impact mouse PGC migration in vitro. Together, our study reveals a previously unanticipated role of isoprenoids as local effectors of pre-gonadal PGC development and suggests a broadly shared mechanism in PGC migration.

The functions of triple gene block proteins and coat protein of apple stem pitting virus in viral cell-to-cell movement.

Apple stem pitting virus is a species in the genus Foveavirus in the family Betaflexiviridae. Apple stem pitting virus (ASPV) commonly infects apple and pear plants grown worldwide. In this study, by integrating bimolecular fluorescence complementation, split-ubiquitin-based membrane yeast two-hybrid, and Agrobacterium-mediated expression assays, the interaction relationships and the subcellular locations of ASPV proteins TGBp1-3 and CP in Nicotiana benthamiana leaf cells were determined. Proteins CP, TGBp1, TGBp2, and TGBp3 were self-interactable, and TGBp2 played a role in the formation of perinuclear viroplasm and enhanced the colocalization of TGBp3 with CP and TGBp1. We found that the plant microfilament and endoplasmic reticulum structures were involved in the production of TGBp3 and TGBp2 vesicles, and their disruption decreased the virus accumulation level in the systemic leaves. The TGBp3 motile vesicles functioned in delivering the viral ribonucleoprotein complexes to the plasma membrane. Two cysteine residues at sites 35 and 49 of the TGBp3 sorting signal were necessary for the diffusion of TGBp3-marked vesicles. Furthermore, our results revealed that TGBp1, TGBp2, and CP could increase plasmodesmal permeability and move to the adjacent cells. This study demonstrates an interaction network and a subcellular location map of four ASPV proteins and for the first time provides insight into the functions of these proteins in the movement of a foveavirus.

Integrated bioinformatics approaches to investigate alterations in transcriptomic profiles of monkeypox infected human cell line model.

BACKGROUND: The recent re-emergence of the monkeypox (mpox) epidemic in nonendemic regions has raised concerns regarding a potential global outbreak. The mpox virus (MPV) is a smallpox-like virus belonging to the genus Orthopoxvirus (family: Poxviridae). Although studies suggest that MPV infection suppresses the Toll-like receptor-3- and tumor necrosis factor-α-related signaling pathways, whether MPV regulates other immune-related pathways remains unclear. METHODS: In this study, two distinct temporal patterns were used for establishing an MPV-infected human immortal epithelial cancer cell line (HeLa). These two durations 2 and 12 h of incubation were selected to identify the coregulated genes and pathways affected by MPV infection. RESULTS: The use of the Gene Ontology framework, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genome database, and MetaCore software yielded valuable insights. Specifically, various pathways were found to be enriched in HeLa cells infected with MPV for 2 and 12 h. These pathways included Notch, CD40, CD95, hypoxia-inducible factor-1-α, interleukin (IL)- 1, IL-6, phosphoinositide 3-kinase, nuclear factor-κB, mitogen-activated protein kinase, and oxidative stress-induced signalling pathways. Clusters and pathways of metabolism and viral replication cycles were significantly associated with the 2-hour infection group. This association was identified based on the regulation of genes such as HSPG2, RHPN2, MYL1, ASPHD2, CA9, VIPR1, SNX12, MGC2752, SLC25A1, PEX19, and AREG. Furthermore, clusters and pathways related to immunity and cell movement were found to be associated with the 12-hour infection group. This association was identified based on the regulation of genes such as C1orf21, C19orf48, HRK, IL8, GULP1, SCAND2, ATP5C1, FEZ1, SGSH, TACC2, CYP4X1, MMP1, CPB1, P2RY13, WDR27, PRPF4, and ENDOD1. CONCLUSIONS: This study can improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology and post-infection sequelae of mpox. Our findings provide valuable insights into the various modes of MPV infection.

Dopamine receptor D2 regulates genes involved in germ cell movement and sperm motility in rat testes†.

The function of dopamine receptor D2 (D2R) is well associated with sperm motility; however, the physiological role of D2R present on testicular cells remains elusive. The aim of the present study is to delineate the function of testicular D2R. Serum dopamine levels were found to decrease with age, whereas testicular D2R expression increased. In rat testicular sections, D2R immunolabeling was observed in interstitial cells, spermatogonia, spermatocytes and mature elongated spermatids, whereas tyrosine hydroxylase immunolabeling was selectively detected in Leydig cells. In vitro seminiferous tubule culture following bromocriptine (D2R agonist) treatment resulted in decreased cAMP levels. Microarray identified 1077 differentially expressed genes (511 up-regulated, 566 down-regulated). The majority of differentially expressed genes were present in post-meiotic cells including early and late spermatids, and sperm. Gene ontology elucidated processes related to extra-cellular matrix to be enriched and was supported by differential expression of various collagens and laminins, thereby indicating a role of dopamine in extra-cellular matrix integrity and transport of spermatids across the seminiferous epithelium. Gene ontology and enrichment map also highlighted cell/sperm motility to be significantly enriched. Therefore, genes involved in sperm motility functions were further validated by RT-qPCR. Seven genes (Akap4, Ccnyl1, Iqcf1, Klc3, Prss55, Tbc1d21, Tl18) were significantly up-regulated, whereas four genes (Dnah1, Dnah5, Clxn, Fsip2) were significantly down-regulated by bromocriptine treatment. The bromocriptine-stimulated reduction in seminiferous tubule cyclic AMP and associated changes in spermatid gene expression suggests that dopamine regulates both spermatogenesis and spermiogenesis within the seminiferous epithelium, and spermatozoa motility following spermiation, as essential processes for fertility.

Role and prognostic value of matrix metalloproteinase-7 in the migration and immune cell infiltration of hepatocellular carcinoma / 临床肝胆病杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the role and prognostic value of matrix metalloproteinase-7 （MMP7） in the migration and immune cell infiltration of hepatocellular carcinoma. MethodsMMP7_siRNA for downregulating the target gene MMP7 and pMMP7 for upregulating MMP7 were constructed and were used to transfect hepatocellular carcinoma cell line （MHCC97H）. RT-qPCR and Western Blot were used to measure the mRNA and protein expression levels of the target gene in cells. Scanning electron microscopy and Transwell assay were used to observe the changes in cell pseudopodia and migration ability， and bioinformatics methods were used to investigate the correlation of MMP7 with immune cells and immune infiltration score in TCGA and TIMER databases in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma， as well as the association between MMP7 and the prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. The Spearman method was used for correlation analysis. Sanger Box online tool was used to assess the value of MMP7 in the overall survival curve and disease-specific survival of hepatocellular carcinoma. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to plot survival curves， and the Log-rank test was used for comparison of prognosis between different samples. ResultsAfter MHCC97H cells were transfected with MMP7_siRNA or pMMP7， there was a significant reduction or increase in the expression of the target gene MMP7； after downregulation of MMP7， there were significant reductions in the number and length of the pseudopodia， while after MMP7 overexpression， there were significant increases in the number and length of filopodia with radial arrangement. The Transwell chamber assay showed that MMP7_siRNA2 significantly reduced the migration ability of cells （P<0.05）， and there was a significant increase in migration ability after pMMP7 transfection. The expression of MMP7 was significantly correlated with B lymphocytes （r=0.37， P<0.05）， CD4+ T lymphocytes （r=0.40， P<0.05）， neutrophils （r=0.49， P<0.05）， macrophages （r=0.49， P<0.05）， and dendritic cells （r=0.47， P<0.05）. In the TCGA database， the patients with hepatocellular carcinoma were divided into MMP7 high expression group with 267 patients and MMP7 low expression group with 146 patients based on overall survival， and the results showed that the MMP7 high expression group had a significantly shorter overall survival time than the MMP7 low expression group （P<0.05）； based on the disease-specific survival time， the patients were divided into MMP7 high expression group with 257 patients and MMP7 low expression group with 145 patients， and the analysis showed that the MMP7 high expression group also had a significantly shorter disease-specific survival time than the MMP7 low expression group （P<0.05）. ConclusionMMP7 promotes the migration of hepatocellular carcinoma cells and plays a major role in immune cell infiltration， and the expression of MMP7 is also significantly associated with the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Research progress of mesenchymal stem cells in endometriosis / 天津医药

Endometriosis is a common chronic gynecological disease,and its pathogenesis has not been fully elucidated.Mesenchymal stem cells are a kind of pluripotent stem cells with multi-directional differentiation potential derived from mesoderm,which can differentiate into a variety of tissues and organs.Endometrial mesenchymal stem cells,menstrual blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells,adipose mesenchymal stem cells,bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and umbilical cord blood mesenchymal stem cells can participate in the pathogenesis of endometriosis from cell proliferation and differentiation,ectopic migration,angiogenesis,inflammatory response and fibrosis formation,and play a certain role in progression of the disease.Mesenchymal stem cells provide new ideas for elucidating the pathogenesis of endometriosis,and may also become a potential method for the treatment of endometriosis.

Relationship between CD36 and cell proliferation and migration in hepatocellular carcinoma and its effect on human hepatocellular carcinoma cell xenograft models in nude mice / 肿瘤研究与临床

Objective:To observe the expression of CD36 in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues and cell lines, and to investigate the effects of CD36 on the proliferation and migration abilities of human hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines and human hepatocellular carcinoma cell xenograft models in nude mice.Methods:Differences in the expression levels of CD36 transcripts in 371 hepatocellular carcinoma and paracancerous tissues were analyzed based on information from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Cancer tissues and corresponding paracancerous tissues of 48 hepatocellular carcinoma patients who were diagnosed and underwent surgical treatment at the Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University from January 2019 to February 2021 were prospectively collected, and the levels of CD36 mRNA in the tissues were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) method. Western blotting was used to detect CD36 protein levels in human hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines Huh7 and HCCLM3 and human normal liver cell line LO2. Plasmids containing CD36 interfering sequences and empty plasmids were transfected into Huh7 cells or HCCLM3 cells for sh-CD36 group and control group, respectively. The CCK-8 assay was used to detect the proliferation ability (expressed as absorbance value) of cells in each group at 0, 12, 24, 36, 48 and 60 h of culture, and the scratch healing assay and Transwell assay were used to detect the migration ability of cells in each group. The Huh7 cells of sh-CD36 group or control group were injected into the axillary subcutis of BALB/c nude mice, with 4 mice in each group, to construct nude mice models of human hepatocellular carcinoma xenografts; the long and short diameters of tumor were measured weekly after 1 week of inoculation, and the tumor volume was calculated. The nude mice were put to death after 5 weeks of inoculation, and the tumor specimens were collected and weighed; the tumor cell morphology was observed under the microscope, and the expressions of CD36 and Ki-67 proteins in the tumor tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC).Results:Analysis of the data from the TCGA database showed that the level of CD36 transcripts was higher in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues compared with that in paracancerous tissues (4.2±1.8 vs. 3.2±1.5, t = 2.28, P = 0.035). Tissues detection using qRT-PCR in 48 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma showed that the relative expression of CD36 mRNA in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues was higher than that in paracancerous tissues (0.76±0.26 vs. 0.48±0.23, t = 3.52, P < 0.001). Western blotting assay showed that CD36 protein level in Huh7 and HCCLM3 cells was higher than that in LO2 cells, which were (1.42±0.11) times and (1.68±0.16) times higher than LO2 cells, respectively (both P < 0.001). At the mRNA and protein levels, the CD36 of Huh7 and HCCLM3 cells in the sh-CD36 group was lower than that in the corresponding control group (both P < 0.001). CCK-8 assay showed that the proliferative ability of Huh7 cells and HCCLM3 cells in the sh-CD36 group was lower than that in the corresponding control group after 36 and 24 h of culture (both P < 0.01). Scratch healing assay showed that the scratch healing rates of Huh7 cells [(12±3)% vs. (30±5)%, t = 4.01, P < 0.001] and HCCLM3 cells [(15±4)% vs. (29±5)%, t = 4.16, P < 0.001] in the sh-CD36 group were lower than those in the corresponding control group at 48 h of culture; Transwell assay showed that the number of Huh7 cells [(46±6) cells/field of view vs. (88± 6) cells/field of view, t = 5.56, P < 0.001] and HCCLM3 cells [(42±5) cells/field of view vs. (82±7) cells/field of view, t = 5.34, P < 0.001] penetrating into the membrane in 24 h in the sh-CD36 group was less than that in the corresponding control group. Five weeks after subcutaneous injection, the tumor volume [(682±268) mm 3vs. (1 375±512) mm 3, t = 4.73, P = 0.006] and tumor mass [(432±95) mg/mouse vs. (871±109) mg/mouse, t = 6.57, P < 0.001] of nude mice injected with Huh7 cells of the sh-CD36 group were lower than those of nude mice injected with Huh7 cells of the control group; under the microscope, the density of tumor cells in transplanted tumor specimens of nude mice injected with Huh7 cells of the sh-CD36 group was lower than that in nude mice injected with Huh7 cells of the control group, and the expression levels of both CD36 and Ki-67 proteins were also low. Conclusions:CD36 expression is up-regulated in cancer tissues of hepatocellular carcinoma patients and human hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines Huh7 and HCCLM3, and it may associate with cell proliferation and migration of hepatocellular carcinoma. Knockdown of CD36 expression significantly inhibits the proliferation and migration abilities of hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro, and inhibits the tumors of human hepatocellular carcinoma cell xenograft models in nude mice.

Level of tRNA derivative tRF-5026a in serum of breast cancer patients and experimental study of its effect on proliferation, invasion and migration of breast cancer cells / 肿瘤研究与临床

Objective:To investigate the level of the transporter RNA (tRNA) derivative tRF-5026a in the serum of breast cancer patients and its value for the diagnosis of breast cancer, and to investigate its effect on the biological functions of breast cancer cells in vitro and the possible mechanisms.Methods:Sixty female breast cancer patients (breast cancer group) hospitalized in Jiangsu Cancer Hospital from January 2016 to February 2019 and 20 healthy women undergoing physical examination during the same period (healthy control group) were retrospectively selected. The relative expression of serum tRF-5026a in the study subjects was detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of serum tRF-5026a level for the diagnosis of breast cancer was drawn with pathological diagnosis as the gold standard. tRF-5026a mimics (tRF-5026a group) and negative control sequences (negative control group) were transiently transfected into MCF-7 and BT549 cells by lipofectamine method; CCK-8 assay and 5-ethynyl-2-deoxyuridine (EdU) assay were used to detect the ability of cell proliferation in cells of each group; cell apoptosis in cells of each group was detected by flow cytometry; the abilities of cell invasion and migration in cells of each group were detected by Transwell assay; the expressions of epithelial mesenchymal transition-related proteins in cells of each group were detected by Western blotting.Results:The relative expressions of tRF-5026a [ M ( Q1, Q3)] in serum of healthy control group and breast cancer group were 16.58 (6.37, 26.31) and 3.46 (0.32, 9.01), with a statistically significant difference ( Z = -4.27, P < 0.001). ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) for diagnosis of breast cancer by the relative expression of serum tRF-5026a was 0.820 (95% CI: 0.722-0.918), with an optimal cut-off value of 9.082, and the corresponding sensitivity and specificity were 75.0 % and 76.7%, respectively. The apoptosis rates of MCF-7 cells in the tRF-5026a group and the corresponding negative control group were (16.52±0.51)% and (12.28±1.75)%, and the BT549 cells were (13.27±2.18)% and (8.86±0.29)%, the differences were not statistically significant (both P > 0.05). MCF-7 and BT549 cells in the tRF-5026a group had lower proliferative, invasive and migratory abilities than cells in the corresponding negative control group (all P < 0.05). MCF-7 and BT549 cells in the tRF-5026a group had lower protein expressions of N-cadherin, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 and MMP-3 than cells in the corresponding negative control group. Conclusions:tRF-5026a has low level in the serum of breast cancer patients and it may be an indicator for breast cancer diagnosis. tRF-5026a can inhibit the proliferation, invasion and migration of breast cancer MCF-7 and BT549 cells in vitro, which may be related to the regulation of epithelial mesenchymal transition.

Expression of long non-coding RNA RP13-349O20.2 in cervical cancer tissues and experimental study of its effect on migration, invasion abilities and chemosensitivity of cervical cancer cells / 肿瘤研究与临床

Objective:To explore the expression of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) RP13-349O20.2 in cervical cancer tissues and its impact on the migration, invasion abilities and chemotherapy sensitivity of cervical cancer cells in vitro and the possible mechanisms.Methods:The GEPIA.CANCER website (the data was updated in June 2023) was used to analyze the relationship between the expression level of RP13-349O20.2 and the overall survival of 253 cervical cancer patients. From January 2020 to August 2022, cancer tissues and paracancerous tissues (>2 cm from the tumor edge) from 40 cervical cancer patients in the Affiliated Tengzhou Central People's Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University were retrospectively collected. Human normal cervical epithelial cells H8 and human cervical cancer cell lines HCC94, C33A, Hela, HCC1106 and SiHa were used for cell experiments in vitro. Real-time fluorescence polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the relative expression of RP13-349O20.2 in cervical cancer tissues, paracancerous tissues and each cell line. The C33A cells with the highest relative expression level of RP13-349O20.2 were transfected with small interfering RNA (siRNA) of RP13-349O20.2 and siRNA of its negative control sequence, and they were si-RP13-349O20.2 group and si-Con group, respectively. The scratch healing assay was used to detect the migration ability of C33A cells in the two groups, the Transwell assay was used to detect the invasion ability of C33A cells, and the CCK-8 method was used to detect the sensitivity of C33A cells to 5-fluorouracil. The absorbance value indicated the cell proliferation ability, the lower the absorbance value, the weaker the proliferation ability, the more sensitive to the drug. Dual-luciferase reporter gene assay was used to verify the targeting relationship between RP13-349O20.2 and miRNA-493-5p (miR-493-5p), miR-493-5p and Nectin-4. qRT-PCR was used to detect the relative expression of miR-493-5p and Nectin-4 mRNA in two groups of C33A cells, and Western blotting was used to detect the expressions of Nectin-4 protein and PI3K-AKT signaling pathway proteins in two groups of cells.Results:Analysis based on data from GEPIA.CANCER website shows that patients with low expression of RP13-349O20.2 had better overall survival than patients with high expression ( P < 0.01). The relative expression levels of RP13-349O20.2 in cervical cancer tissues and paracancerous tissues of 40 patients were 4.04±0.32 and 1.18±0.14, and the difference was statistically significant ( t = 8.29, P < 0.01). Compared with H8 cells, the expressions of RP13-349O20.2 in human cervical cancer cell lines HCC94, C33A, Hela, HCC1106 and SiHa were higher (all P < 0.01). The relative expression levels of RP13-349O20.2 in C33A cells in the si-Con group and si-RP13-349O20.2 group were 7.30±0.30 and 1.01±0.27, and the difference was statistically significant ( t = 15.62, P < 0.01). The scratch healing rates of C33A cells in the si-Con group and si-RP13-349O20.2 group were (32±9)% and (75±6)% ( t = 3.97, P < 0.01), and the numbers of invasive cells were (106±12) cells and (36±8) cells ( t = 4.79, P < 0.01). After the action of 5, 10, 20, 40 and 80 μmol/L 5-fluorouracil for 24 h, the absorbance value of C33A cells in the si-RP13-349O20.2 group was lower than that in the si-Con group. Dual-luciferase reporter gene assay confirmed that there was a targeting relationship between P13-349O20.2 and miR-493-5p ( P < 0.01), and there was a targeting relationship between miR-493-5p and Nectin-4 ( P < 0.01) . The relative expression levels of miR-493-5p in C33A cells in the si-Con group and si-RP13-349O20.2 group was 1.02±0.13 and 5.48±0.85 ( t = 5.21, P < 0.01). The relative expression levels of Nectin-4 mRNA were 5.65±0.33 and 0.99±0.34 ( t = 9.87, P < 0.01). The expression of Nectin-4 protein in C33A cells in the si-RP13-349O20.2 group was lower than that in the si-Con group ( t = 9.21, P = 0.001), and the expressions of PI3K-AKT signaling pathway proteins p-STAT3, p-PI3K, p-AKT and p-mTOR were lower than those in the si-Con group (all P < 0.01). Conclusions:The level of RP13-349O20.2 in cervical cancer tissues is high, and its high expression may indicate the poor prognosis of patients. Interfering with the expression of RP13-349O20.2 in vitro can inhibit the migration and invasion abilities of cervical cancer cells and promote the sensitivity of cervical cancer cells to 5-fluorouracil. The mechanism may be related to the miR-493-5p/Nectin-4 signaling pathway and the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway.

Effect of ankyrin-repeat domain-containing protein 22 on human hepatoma cells and its mechanism / 临床肝胆病杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of ankyrin-repeat domain-containing protein 22 （ANKRD22） on the proliferation， invasion， and migration of human hepatoma cells and its molecular mechanism. MethodsThe TCGA database was used to analyze the expression level of ANKRD22 in normal liver tissue and hepatocellular carcinoma tissue and its association with prognosis. Western Blot and qRT-PCR were used to measure the expression of ANKRD22 in human normal liver cells （L-02） and human hepatoma cells （Huh7， HepG2， MHCC-97H， SK-HEP-1， and SMMC-7721）； CCK-8 assay， EdU， wound healing assay， and Transwell assay were used to observe the effect of ANKRD22 on the proliferation， invasion， and migration of hepatoma cells； Western Blot was used to investigate the association of ANKRD22 with cyclins and EMT-related proteins； KEGG and ssGSEA analyses were performed to investigate the mechanism of action of ANKRD22 in hepatoma cells， and related experiments were conducted for validation. The independent-samples t-test was used for comparison of continuous data between two groups； a one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison between multiple groups， and the least significant difference t-test was used for further comparison between two groups. ResultsIn the TCGA database， the expression level of ANKRD22 in hepatoma tissue was significantly higher than that in normal liver tissue （t=5.083， P<0.05）， and the patients with a high expression level of ANKRD22 had longer overall survival and disease-related survival than those with a low expression level of ANKRD22 （P<0.05）. The expression level of ANKRD22 in various human hepatoma cell lines was higher than that in human normal liver cells （all P<0.05）. Cell proliferation assay showed that the ANKRD22 overexpression group had significantly higher EdU positive rate and proliferation rate than the Vector group （t=19.60 and 6.72， both P<0.001）， and compared with the si-NC group， the si-ANKRD22#2 group and the si-ANKRD22#3 group had significantly lower EdU positive rate and proliferation rate （all P<0.001）. Compared with the Vector group， the overexpression group had significantly higher expression levels of Cyclin E1， Cyclin D1， CDK7， and CDK4 （t=3.54， 4.95， 6.34， and 5.19， all P<0.01）， and the si-ANKRD22#2 group and the si-ANKRD22#3 group had significantly lower expression levels than the si-NC group （all P<0.001）. The overexpression group had a significantly lower expression level of P27 than the Vector group （t=6.12， P<0.001）， and the si-ANKRD22#2 group and the si-ANKRD22#3 group had a significantly higher expression level than the si-NC group （both P<0.001）. Invasion and migration experiments showed that compared with the Vector group， the ANKRD22 overexpression group had significantly higher migration rate and number of crossings through the membrane （migration group and invasion group） （t=5.01， 25.60， and 3.67， all P<0.05）， and compared with the si-NC group， thesi-ANKRD22#2 group and the si-ANKRD22#3 group had significantly lower migration rate and number of crossings through the membrane （migration group and invasion group） （all P<0.01）. The overexpression group had significantly higher expression levels of N-cadherin， Vimentin， and Snail than the Vector group （t=12.13， 8.85， and 13.97， all P<0.001）， and the si-ANKRD22#2 group and the si-ANKRD22#3 group had significantly lower expression levels than the si-NC group （all P<0.001）； the overexpression group had a significantly lower expression level of E-cadherin than the Vector group （t=4.98， P<0.01）， and the si-ANKRD22#2 group and the si-ANKRD22#3 group had a significantly higher expression level than the si-NC group （both P<0.001）. The KEGG enrichment analysis and the ssGSEA analysis showed that ANKRD22 was associated with the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma， and the overexpression group had significantly higher expression levels of p-AKT/AKT， p-PI3K/PI3K， and p-mTOR/mTOR than the Vector group （t=12.21， 3.43， and 9.75， all P<0.01）， and the si-ANKRD22#2 group and the si-ANKRD22#3 group had significantly lower expression levels than the si-NC group （all P<0.001）. ConclusionANKRD22 is highly expressed in hepatoma cells and can promote the proliferation， invasion， and migration of hepatoma cells and the activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.

Chronic Starvation Stress Promotes Migration Ability of Colorectal Cancer Cells by Inducing ITGB1 Upregulation / 肿瘤防治研究

Objective To investigate the effects of chronic starvation stress on the proliferation and migration of colorectal cancer cells, as well as the underlying mechanisms. Methods By using prolonged serum starvation to simulate chronic starvation stress in tumor cells, we established enduring serum-deprived models of SW480 and DLD-1 cells and observed cellular morphological change. Effects of prolonged serum starvation on SW480 and DLD-1 proliferative and migratory capabilities were assessed using CCK-8 and Transwell assays. Differential gene-expression analysis on SW480 cultured with 1% FBS or 10% FBS medium was followed by GO and KEGG pathway assessments. Migration-related protein interactions were explored using String database and Metascape software, leading to 16 genes being selected for RT-qPCR validation. Protein levels of ITGB1 and key molecules in the relevant pathways were measured. Mobility changes in SW480 were observed through Transwell assay after ITGB1 knockdown or STAT3 inhibition. Results Prolonged serum starvation significantly inhibited the proliferation of SW480 and DLD-1 cells, and DLD-1 mobility, while enhanced SW480 migration. Transcriptome analysis revealed that prolonged serum deprivation caused the upregulation of 3016 genes, among which 283 were involved in cell migration. Metascape analysis identified the correlations among potential core genes ITGB1, CD44, TNS1, STAT3, etc. Prolonged serum deprivation increased the mRNA levels of VTN, TNS1, VEGFA, STAT3, and ITGB1 while also increasing the protein levels of ITGB1 and MMP2 and the phosphorylation levels of JAK2 and STAT3. Mobility reduction in prolonged serum-starved SW480 cells was achieved through ITGB1 knockdown or a STAT3 inhibitor. Conclusion Colorectal cancer cells can endure chronic starvation stress which enhances migration capability by upregulating ITGB1 expression.

Myosin 1e deficiency affects migration of 4T1 breast cancer cells.

Metastasis of breast cancer cells to distant tissue sites is responsible for the majority of deaths associated with breast cancer. Previously we have examined the role of class I myosin motor protein, myosin 1e (myo1e), in cancer metastasis using the Mouse Mammary Tumor Virus-Polyoma Middle T Antigen (MMTV-PyMT) mouse model. Mice deficient in myo1e formed tumors with a more differentiated phenotype relative to the wild-type mice and formed no detectable lung metastases. In the current study, we investigated how the absence of myo1e affects cell migration and invasion in vitro, using the highly invasive and migratory breast cancer cell line, 4T1. 4T1 cells deficient in myo1e exhibited an altered morphology and slower rates of migration in the wound-healing and transwell migration assays compared to the WT 4T1 cells. While integrin trafficking and Golgi reorientation did not appear to be altered upon myo1e loss, we observed lower rates of focal adhesion disassembly in myo1e-deficient cells, which could help explain the cell migration defect.

Long-term, real-time and label-free live cell image processing and analysis based on a combined algorithm of CellPose and watershed segmentation.

Developing a rapid and quantitative method to accurately evaluate the physiological abilities of living cells is critical for tumor control. Many experiments have been conducted in the field of biology in an attempt to measure the proliferation and movement abilities of cells, but existing methods cannot provide real-time and objective data for label-free cells. The quantitative imaging technique, including an automatic segmentation algorithm for individual label-free cells, has been a breakthrough in this regard. In this study, we develop a combined automatic image processing algorithm of CellPose and watershed segmentation for the long-term and real-time imaging of label-free cells. This method shows strong reliability in cell identification regardless of cell densities, allowing us to obtain accurate information about the number and proliferation ability of the target cells. Additionally, our results also suggest that this method is a reliable way to assess real-time data on drug cytotoxicity, cell morphology, and cell movement ability.