Cell Biochemistry and Biophysics

Protein modifications such as ubiquitination and phosphorylation commonly serve as sorting tags that control the trafficking and stability of a protein within the cytosol. In recent years, N-linked glycans have emerged as key protein modifications for eukaryotic secretory proteins. These modifications support the recruitment of molecular chaperones and sorting receptors, which recognize specific glycoforms. Therefore, glycanases and carbohydrate transferases work in concert with lectin chaperones and receptors to aid in the maturation and quality control of glycoproteins.

hUCMSCs were isolated and purified from the umbilical cords of normal or cesarean term deliveries under sterile conditions. Flow cytometry analysis revealed that CD13, CD29, CD44, CD90, and CD105 were highly expressed on the surface of passage-3 hUCMSCs, but negative for CD31, CD34, CD45, and HLA-DR. Immunocytochemistry showed that 5-azacytidine (5-aza) could induce the cTnI expression of hUCMSCs. RT-PCR showed that a stable higher level expression of DLL4 and Notch1 gene in 5-aza-induced group was observed compared to that in the control group. There was a higher expression level in the induced group. Compared with control group, the expression levels of Notch1 were, respectively, increased 6.60, 7.36, 7.595, and 7.805 times at 1, 3, 5, and 7 days after intervention of 5-aza. Statistically higher Ct value of Notch1 mRNA in induced group was observed in comparison with that of the control group (0.51 ± 0.21 vs 7.85 ± 0.35, t = 35.98, P < 0.01). The expression level of DLL4 increased stably compared with the control group. Compared with control group, the expression levels of DLL4 were, respectively, increased 11.53, 10.1, 10.17, and 11.46 times at 1, 3, 5, and 7 days after intervention of 5-aza. There was a significant difference of DLL4 Ct value between the 5-aza-induced group and the control group (1.60 ± 0.49 vs 12.42 ± 0.73, t = 11.71, P < 0.01). In conclusion, hUCMSCs can be differentiated into myocardial cells in vitro. The DLL4–Notch signaling pathway may be involved in the differentiation of hUCMSCs into cardiomyocytes induced by 5-aza.

Mechanical trauma appears to be one significant cause of the rapid intravascular death of cancer cells and, as such, could act as an important rate regulator for the metastatic process. Intravascular mechanical trauma to cancer cells is thought to be a consequence of shape transitions, occurring when they are deformed from spherical shape by entry into, and passage along, capillaries having smaller diameters than themselves. These transitions from spherical shape require increases in surface area; first, an apparent increase in surface area is accomplished by a reversible, nonlethal surface membrane unfolding. If this is insufficient to meet geometric demands, it is followed by a true increase in surface area, resulting in increased tension in the cancer cell surface membrane, leading to its lethal rupture.

Modulation of nuclear factor KappaB (NF-κB) activation may play a role in regulating inflammatory conditions associated with coronary artery disease (CAD). MicroRNA-146a (miR-146a) primarily targets interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 1 (IRAK-1) and tumour necrosis factor receptor associated factor 6 (TRAF-6), which results in inhibition of NF-κB via the TLR pathway. This study investigated the influence of the miR-146a GC rs2910164 on miR-146a expression in young South African Indians with CAD. CAD patients and controls were genotyped by PCR–RFLP and miRNA-146a levels were measured by qPCR. IRAK-1, TRAF-6 and NF-κB expression was determined by Western blot. No differences in genotypic frequency was found (GG: 45 vs. 47 %, GC: 46 vs. 41 %, CC: 9 vs. 12 %) in controls and patients respectively (odds ratio = 1.025; 95 % confidence interval 0.6782–1.550; p = 0.9164). Significantly higher levels of miR-146a was associated with CAD patients with the CC genotype (6.25-fold increase relative to controls and patients with the wildtype variant, p < 0.0001). Significantly lower levels of IRAK-1 (0.38 ± 0.02; p = 0.0072) and TRAF-6 (0.44 ± 0.02; p = 0.0146) was found in CAD patients with the CC genotype. The lowest levels of NF-κB and C-reactive protein were found in patients with the homozygous C allele compared to the heterozygous GC and wildtype variants. We propose a role for miR-146a in TLR signalling through a negative feedback mechanism involving the attenuation of NF-κB by down-regulation of IRAK-1 and TRAF-6. Our observations implicate miR-146a as a target for lowering inflammation in CAD patients.

The precise regulation of both the magnitude and the duration of Janus kinase (JAK) catalytic activity is essential for the cytokine orchestration of many biological processes, and the dysregulation of JAK activity has pathological implications. Immunosuppressive disease states, such as X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency, arise from inappropriate JAK inhibition. In contrast, a limited number of cancers, primarily leukemias, result from constitutive or enhanced activation of JAK activity. JAKs are no longer implicated only in classic cytokine receptor-mediated signaling pathways, but are now also known to integrate indirectly into other receptor-mediated signal transduction processes. Therefore, an increasing number of therapeutic applications exist for biological-response modifiers that can restore aberrant JAK activity to normal levels. Exciting breakthroughs in both physiological and pharmacological methods of selective inhibition of cytokine-JAK-signal transducers and activators of transcription pathways have recently emerged in the form of suppressors of cytokine signaling (also known as cytokine-inducible SH2 protein, JAK-binding protein, or STAT-induced STAT inhibitor) proteins and novel dimethoxyquinazoline derivatives, respectively. The basis of these and other mechanisms of negative regulation of JAK activity, including the suppression of jak expression levels caused by tumor- or pathogen-derived agents, the complex interactions of JAKs with phosphatases, and the redox regulation of JAK catalytic activity, is the focus of this review.

Tế bào gốc gân (TSCs), vừa mới được xác định là tế bào gân, đóng vai trò quan trọng trong việc duy trì cân bằng của mô gân. Sự suy giảm chức năng của TSCs theo tuổi tác đã được báo cáo. Các nghiên cứu gần đây cho thấy rằng điều kiện thiếu oxy có lợi cho việc mở rộng hiệu quả TSCs. Hơn nữa, chức năng kém của tế bào gốc tuổi cao có thể được điều chỉnh bằng cách cho chúng tiếp xúc với môi trường trẻ. Do đó, chúng tôi đã nghiên cứu tác động của môi trường nuôi cấy điều kiện thiếu oxy (HCCM) từ TSCs trẻ lên sự sinh sản, di chuyển, lão hóa và kiểu hình tế bào gân của TSCs tuổi cao. TSCs đã được thu thập và môi trường điều kiện đã được lấy mẫu. Có 4 nhóm: TSCs trẻ, TSCs tuổi cao, TSCs tuổi cao + HCCM tuổi cao, và TSCs tuổi cao + HCCM trẻ. Năng lực sinh sản, di chuyển, hoạt động β-galactosidase và tiềm năng phân hóa thành tế bào gân của TSCs đã được đánh giá. Kết quả của chúng tôi cho thấy rằng HCCM đã tăng cường khả năng sinh sản và di chuyển của TSCs tuổi cao. Hơn nữa, hoạt động β-galactosidase liên quan đến lão hóa của TSCs tuổi cao đã giảm bớt nhờ HCCM trẻ. Sau khi được nuôi cấy trong HCCM trẻ, biểu hiện của các gen liên quan đến tế bào gân trong TSCs tuổi cao đã được tăng cường đáng kể. Tổng hợp lại, kết quả của nghiên cứu này chỉ ra rằng HCCM từ TSCs trẻ có thể đại diện cho một chiến lược hiệu quả trong việc cải thiện chức năng suy giảm của TSCs tuổi cao.

In previous work, decolorization of malachite green (MG) was studied in Aspergillus niger in the presence and absence of calcium chloride stress. Decolorization took place within 24 h, and a signal transduction process that initiated MG decolorization was suggested to be involved. In the present study, further investigation of the relationship between calcium chloride stress and enhanced MG biodegradation was conducted at the sub-cellular level. MG-NADH reductase activity, a key enzyme in MG decolorization, was produced as decolorization commenced, and enzyme activity increased threefold upon exposure to calcium chloride. Inhibitors of cytochrome p450, Ca2+ channel activity as well as activity of the signaling protein phosphoinositide 3-kinase were tested. All three activities were inhibited to different extents resulting in reduced MG decolorization. Spectral analysis of the mitochondrial fraction showed a heme signal at 405 nm and A405/A280 ratio that is characteristic of the porphoryin ring of cytochromes. There were no peaks detected for cytochromes a or b, but a shoulder appearing at 550 nm was observed, which suggested that cytochrome c is involved; the absorbance for cytochrome c doubled after calcium chloride stress supporting this idea. MG decolorization took place via a series of demethylation steps, and cytotoxicity analysis revealed a decrease in the toxicity associated with generation of leucomalachite green.