Inhibition of histone deacetylation protects wildtype but not gelsolin-deficient mice from ischemic brain injury

Acetylation/deactylation of histones is an important mechanism to regulate gene expression and chromatin remodeling. We have previously demonstrated that the HDAC inhibitor trichostatin A (TSA) protects cortical neurons from oxygen/glucose deprivation in vitro which is mediated--at least in part--via the up regulation of gelsolin expression. Here, we demonstrate that TSA treatment dose-dependently enhances histone acetylation in brains of wildtype mice as evidenced by immunoblots of total brain lysates and immunocytochemical staining. Along with increased histone acetylation dose-dependent up regulation of gelsolin protein was observed. Levels of filamentous actin were largely decreased by TSA pre-treatment in brain of wildtype but not gelsolin-deficient mice. When exposed to 1 h filamentous occlusion of the middle cerebral artery followed by reperfusion TSA pre-treated wildtype mice developed significantly smaller cerebral lesion volumes and tended to have improved neurological deficit scores compared to vehicle-treated mice. These protective effects could not be explained by apparent changes in physiological parameters. In contrast to wildtype mice, TSA pre-treatment did not protect gelsolin-deficient mice against MCAo/reperfusion suggesting that enhanced gelsolin expression is an important mechanism by which TSA protects against ischemic brain injury. Our results suggest that HDAC inhibitors such as TSA are a promising therapeutic strategy for reducing brain injury following cerebral ischemia.     

组蛋白甲基转移酶在肾透明细胞癌中的相关研究进展

肾透明细胞癌是我国泌尿系统肿瘤中最为常见的疾病。组蛋白甲基转移酶( SETD2)为哺乳动物表观遗传调控的一个重要基因,对维持生物体内基因组的稳定性具有重要作用。近年来研究表明 SETD2在肾透明细胞癌中存在高频率突变,突变频率仅次于 VHL和 PBRM1,其表达情况与病人的愈后显著相关。该文归纳了 SETD2在肾透明细胞癌中协同致死与细胞自噬方面的最新研究结果,通过分析 SETD2的缺失对转移性肾癌病人耐药性的影响并做出如下综述。     

人膀胱肿瘤DNA异常甲基化研究的临床意义

膀胱肿瘤是我国最常见的泌尿外科肿瘤,无论其发病率或死亡率均占首位.DNA异常甲基化是肿瘤发生、发展过程中常见的表观遗传学改变,在膀胱肿瘤中扮演着重要角色.近年来,研究者对膀胱肿瘤DNA异常甲基化进行了大量的研究,为开辟膀胱肿瘤筛查、诊断和治疗的新途径奠定了实验基础.     

Targeting Histone Deacetylases for the Treatment of Huntington's Disease

Huntington's disease is a debilitating neurodegenerative condition with significant burdens on both patient and healthcare costs. Despite the identification of the causative element, an expanded toxic polyglutamine tract in the mutant Huntingtin protein, treatment options for patients with this disease remain limited. In the following review I assess the current evidence suggesting that a family of important regulatory proteins known as histone deacetylases may be an important therapeutic target in the treatment of this disease.     

Understanding the roles of N6-methyladenosine writers,readers and erasers in breast cancer

Breast cancer is believed to be driven by epigenetic regulation of genes implicated in cell proliferation, survival, and differentiation. Recently, aberrant N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) decorations turned up as crucial epigenetic regulator for malignant breast cancer, which may serve as new targets for breast cancer treatment. Here we briefly outline the functions of m⁶A and its regulatory proteins, including m⁶A “writers,” “readers,” and “erasers” on RNA life fate, recapitulate the latest breakthroughs in understanding m⁶A modification and its regulatory proteins, and the underlying molecular mechanisms that contribute to the carcinogenesis and the progression of breast cancer, so as to provide potential epigenetic targets for diagnosis, treatment and prognosis in breast cancer.     

5-Aza/TSA表观遗传处理诱导非霍奇金淋巴瘤B细胞表型丢失

目的:探讨5-氮杂-2’-脱氧胞苷/曲古抑菌素A(5-Aza/TSA)介导的DNA去甲基化/组蛋白乙酰化处理对B细胞来源的非霍奇金淋巴瘤B细胞表型的影响。方法:构建含有G418抗性的CD19特异性启动e GFP表达载体,转染霍奇金(阴性对照)和非霍奇金淋巴瘤细胞,并筛选目的序列稳定整合的克隆,比较CD19启动子在2组细胞中的活性。流式细胞术检测5-Aza/TSA处理对2组细胞GFP表达水平的影响。分离Eμ-myc转基因小鼠非霍奇金淋巴瘤原代细胞并鉴定其B细胞表型,通过流式细胞术检测5-Aza/TSA对其B细胞表面抗原CD19等表达水平的影响。结果:5-Aza/TSA表观遗传处理能够降低人非霍奇金淋巴瘤细胞中外源性CD19启动子的转录活性,并沉默小鼠原代非霍奇金淋巴瘤细胞表面B细胞特异性抗原的表达。结论:DNA甲基化和组蛋白去乙酰化对人类及小鼠B细胞来源的非霍奇金淋巴瘤B细胞表型稳定有重要作用。     

异硫氰酸苯己酯对Molt-4细胞组蛋白甲基化、乙酰化调控的实验研究

目的 研究异硫氰酸苯己酯（PHI）在体外对淋巴细胞白血病Molt-4细胞系的作用，观察PHI对Molt-4细胞组蛋白甲基化、乙酰化调控的影响。方法 采用MTT法、克隆抑制实验观察PHI对Molt-4细胞增殖的影响；采用流式细胞术检测PHI诱导细胞凋亡和对细胞周期的影响；用Western blot法观察PHI作用后细胞的组蛋白乙酰化酶、组蛋白甲基化及乙酰化状态的变化。结果 PHI可上调Molt-4细胞组蛋白乙酰化酶P300／CBP水平，显著提高组蛋白H3、H4乙酰化及H3K4甲基化水平，抑制组蛋白甲基化H3K9表达，阻滞细胞于G0／G1期，并诱导细胞凋亡。结论 PHI可能是一种组蛋白去乙酰化酶抑制剂，同时能调控组蛋白甲基化，影响其表观遗传学，可能作为新的抗白血病治疗药物。     

Helicobacter pylori-induced inflammation and epigenetic changes during gastric carcinogenesis

The sequence of events associated with the development of gastric cancer has been described as “the gastric precancerous cascade”. This cascade is a dynamic process that includes lesions, such as atrophic gastritis, intestinal metaplasia and dysplasia. According to this model, Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection targets the normal gastric mucosa causing non-atrophic gastritis, an initiating lesion that can be cured by clearing H. pylori with antibiotics or that may then linger in the case of chronic infection and progress to atrophic gastritis. The presence of virulence factors in the infecting H. pylori drives the carcinogenesis process. Independent epidemiological and animal studies have confirmed the sequential progression of these precancerous lesions. Particularly long-term follow-up studies estimated a risk of 0.1% for atrophic gastritis/intestinal metaplasia and 6% in case of dysplasia for the long-term development of gastric cancer. With this in mind, a better understanding of the genetic and epigenetic changes associated with progression of the cascade is critical in determining the risk of gastric cancer associated with H. pylori infection. In this review, we will summarize some of the most relevant mechanisms and focus predominantly but not exclusively on the discussion of gene promoter methylation and miRNAs in this context.     

Fetal programming of schizophrenia: Select mechanisms

Mounting evidence indicates that schizophrenia is associated with adverse intrauterine experiences. An adverse or suboptimal fetal environment can cause irreversible changes in brain that can subsequently exert long-lasting effects through resetting a diverse array of biological systems including endocrine, immune and nervous. It is evident from animal and imaging studies that subtle variations in the intrauterine environment can cause recognizable differences in brain structure and cognitive functions in the offspring. A wide variety of environmental factors may play a role in precipitating the emergent developmental dysregulation and the consequent evolution of psychiatric traits in early adulthood by inducing inflammatory, oxidative and nitrosative stress (IO&NS) pathways, mitochondrial dysfunction, apoptosis, and epigenetic dysregulation. However, the precise mechanisms behind such relationships and the specificity of the risk factors for schizophrenia remain exploratory. Considering the paucity of knowledge on fetal programming of schizophrenia, it is timely to consolidate the recent advances in the field and put forward an integrated overview of the mechanisms associated with fetal origin of schizophrenia.