Sequence of Echinochloa hoja blanca tenuivirus RNA-5

The sequence is presented of RNA-5 of Echinochloa hoja blanca tenuivirus, a second tenuivirus associated with rice cultivation in Latin America (after rice hoja blanca virus). The RNA is 1334 nucleotides long and contains in the complementary sense RNA a single long open reading frame. The deduced amino acid sequence of this open reading frame shows that it encodes a highly basic and hydrophilic 44 kD protein (pc5) with about 50% similarity to the pc5 protein of maize stripe virus (MStV). This and other features of the RNA are discussed.The GenBank accession number of the sequence reported in this paper is L47430.     

Reserpine as an uncoupler of oxidative phosphorylation and the relevance to its psychoactive properties

Many drugs differing widely in chemical structure uncouple mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation in vitro. This observation has led to the hypothesis that in vivo uncoupling is the basis of their pharmacological activity. Serpasil, a parenteral preparation of reserpine, recently has been shown to uncouple oxidative phosphorylation in vervet monkey kidney mitochondria. Although the drug exhibits some properties of a "classical" uncoupler, our studies show that it has a dual effect on energy conservation. Reserpine released respiratory control in rat liver mitochondria only when dissolved in organic solvents (as in Serpasil) or when deprotonated. Reserpine also released the oligomycin-induced respiratory control in beef heart submitochondrial particles, and inhibited energized uptake of Ca2- by rat liver mitochondria. Reserpine had a dual effect on mitochondrial ATPase: It (a) enhanced ATP hydrolysis by intact liver mitochondria, and (b) inhibited ATP hydrolysis by submitochondrial particles of beef heart. On a molar basis, reserpine was less effective than carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone in all bioenergetic reactions examined. Homogenates and mitochondria isolated from brain and liver of rats stuporous from intraperitoneally injections of Serpasil exhibited no detectable abnormalities in respiratory states and responded to known uncouplers in the expected manner. There was no evidence of in vivo uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation as a basis of the pharmacological activity of reserpine, although interference with energy transfer may be involved in toxic manifestations of the drug. The results indicate the need for caution in interpreting the action of drugs formulated in complex pharmaceutical preparations and based solely on in vitro experiments.     

MiR-124-3p suppresses glioma aggressiveness via targeting of Fra-2

Malignant glioma is the most common and deadly primary brain tumor in adults. However, the mechanisms underlying the malignancy of glioma remain unclear. In the present study, we found that Fos-related antigen-2 (Fra-2) was overexpressed in most glioma cells, and knockdown of Fra-2 prevented cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Mechanistically, Fra-2 silencing led to a significant reduction in cell-cycle drivers (Cyclin D1 and Cyclin E1), one invasion-associated gene (MMP9), the mesenchymal marker (Vimentin), and induction of the epithelial marker (E-cadherin). Further study confirmed that miR-124-3p decreased the expression of Fra-2 via directly targeting the 3′-UTR, and transfection with miR-124-3p in glioma cells inhibited expression of the above cell-cycle and EMT promoters. Phenotypic experiments also showed that overexpression of Fra-2 weakened the inhibitory effects of miR-124-3p on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of glioma cells. In addition, Fra-2 knockdown impaired the malignant phenotypes enhanced by miR-124-3p inhibition, which suggested a crucial role for the miR-124-3p/Fra-2 pathway in glioma development. Consistently, high expression of Fra-2 was closely associated with low miR-124-3p level and indicated a poor prognosis in patients with glioma. In conclusion, this study indicates the existence of an aberrant miR-124-3p/Fra-2 pathway that results in glioma aggressiveness, which suggests novel therapeutic opportunities for this fatal disease.     

单羧酸转运蛋白1促进胰腺导管癌细胞浸润转移的机制研究

背景与目的：单羧酸转运蛋白1（monocarboxylate transporter 1，MCT1）是细胞转运乳酸、丙酮酸等代谢产物及能量物质的一种重要蛋白质，其在胰腺导管癌中的作用及机制鲜有研究报道。该研究旨在探讨MCT1在胰腺导管癌中的表达及临床病理学意义。方法：纳入78例胰腺导管癌患者的癌组织及癌旁正常组织，运用免疫组织化学技术检测MCT1在癌组织和癌旁正常组织中的表达水平并分析其临床病理学意义。在体外细胞系水平上，我们运用胰腺癌细胞系PANC-1和Capan-1，运用细胞克隆形成实验、细胞划痕和Transwell实验分析沉默MCT1后胰腺癌细胞增殖、迁移和浸润的改变。为明确MCT1的相关作用机制，我们通过生物信息学分析，预测miR-124-3p是MCT1的潜在调控微小RNA；为了进一步验证，我们运用双荧光素酶报告实验分析miR-124-3p对MCT1的调控效果；运用实时荧光定量聚合酶链反应（real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction，RTFQ-PCR）分别检测51对新鲜胰腺癌组织中MCT1和miR-124-3p的基因表达并分析两者的相关性。结果：MCT1的阳性表达主要位于细胞膜和细胞质。相比癌旁正常组织，MCT1在胰腺导管癌组织中显著高表达，其表达水平与胰腺导管癌的分化程度、临床分期、淋巴结转移和不良预后具有显著相关性。在体外细胞系水平上，沉默MCT1能够显著抑制胰腺癌细胞系PANC-1和Capan-1的增殖、迁移和浸润；miR-124-3p在胰腺癌组织中显著低表达，并且与MCT1 mRNA的表达具有显著负相关性，能够负调控MCT1的蛋白表达。结论：MCT1是胰腺导管腺癌的致癌基因，miR-124-3p能够负调控MCT1的表达。     

低氧对SH-SY5Y细胞miR-124及BACE1蛋白表达的影响

目的研究低氧对培养细胞miR-124及β-淀粉样前体蛋白裂解酶1(BACE1)蛋白表达的影响。方法培养人神经母细胞瘤细胞(SH-SY5Y),分为对照组、氧-糖剥夺组、Aβ1-42处理组、过表达或抑制miR-124组,用实时定量PCR方法检测miR-124表达,Western blot法检测BACE1蛋白表达。结果氧-糖剥夺处理48 h,细胞内miR-124表达水平明显下降,仅为对照组的46.9%(P0.05),BAE1蛋白表达水平与较对照组增高36%(P0.01);转染miR-124过表达组组细胞内miR-124表达水平较对照组增高245倍(P0.01),为miR-124过表达对照组的219倍(P0.01),BACE1蛋白表达水平较对照组下降了29%(P0.05),较miR-124过表达对照组下降25%(P0.05)。转染miR-124抑制剂组miR-124表达水平下降至对照组的45.4%(P0.05),至miR-124抑制对照组的48%(P0.05),BACE1表达水平较对照组升高21%(P0.05),较miR-124抑制对照组升高40.3%(P0.01);细胞经Aβ1-42处理24 h,miR-124表达水平较对照组下降52%(P0.05),BACE1蛋白表达水平较对照组增高51%(P0.05)。结论低氧通过降低SH-SY5Y细胞miR-124表达进而升高BAEC1蛋白表达,且可能在阿尔茨海默病(Alzheimer's disease,AD)早期发病中发挥作用。     

miR-124在肿瘤研究中的进展

MicroRNA(miRNA)是一类在生物体内广泛表达的非编码小分子RNA,不仅参与调节生物体的生长发育,还与包括肿瘤在内的多种疾病的发生发展密切相关。miR-124就是其中之一,它是一个高度保守的抑癌miRNA。研究发现miR-124在多种肿瘤中均表达下调,已被证实在该类肿瘤的发生、发展以及预后中起着重要作用。     

Circulating intercellular adhesion molecule 1 predicts non-specific elevation of α1-fetoprotein

Molecules governing cellular interactions have been suggested to be involved in the spurious elevation of 1-fetoprotein (AFP) in non-neoplastic liver disease. To explore this controversial issue, we measured AFP, circulating intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (cICAM-1), and common liver function tests in 111 patients (71 male, 40 female). Eighty-four patients had non-neoplastic chronic liver disease and 27 had hepatocellular carcinoma. The concentration of cICAM-1 was determined immunoenzymatically. In patients with non-neoplastic chronic liver disease, univariate analysis demonstrated a significant correlation between AFP and cholinesterase (R=–0.397,P<0.001), aspartate aminotransferase (R=0.421,P<0.001), bilirubin (R=0.231,P<0.05) and cICAM-1 (R=0.430,P<0.001). Multivariate analysis among these variables and AFP indicated cICAM-1 to be the strongest independent predictor of AFP. We conclude that cICAM-1 compares favourably with liver function tests in predicting non-specific AFP variations in non-neoplastic chronic liver disease, suggesting a link between targeting of the inflammatory damage to the hepatocyte and development of neoplasia.Abbreviations AFP 1-fetoprotein - cICAM-1 circulating intercellular adhesion molecule 1