Phosphatidylethanolamine (PE)‐binding protein 4 (PEBP4) is an antiapoptotic protein that is aberrantly expressed in various malignancies. We previously demonstrated that PEBP4 expression is ...dramatically induced in human gliomas and positively correlated with tumor grade and patient survival. However, the function of PEBP4 in human glioma development and underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. By stable lentiviral vector‐mediated silencing of PEBP4, we examined the effects of PEBP4 knockdown on the growth, apoptosis, and invasion of U251 and U373 human glioma cell lines using MTT, Transwell, colony formation, and flow cytometric assays. We examined the in vivo role of PEBP4 in tumor growth by inoculation of BALB/c nu/nu male mice with PEBP4‐deficient U251 and U373 cells. The expression of cell cycle‐ and apoptosis‐related proteins was analyzed by Western blotting and immunostaining. Knockdown of PEBP4 significantly reduced the proliferation and invasion of human glioma cells while inducing cell apoptosis by altering the expression of cell cycle‐ and apoptosis‐related proteins. Mechanistically, PEBP4 knockdown led to activation of the extracellular signal‐regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2) pathway, an effect that could be reversed by U0126, a selective inhibitor of MEK1/2 (upstream of ERK1/2), suggesting involvement of ERK1/2 signaling in the regulation of glioma development and progression by PEBP4. We identified PEBP4 as a novel regulator mediating human glioma cell proliferation, invasion, and apoptosis as well as tumor formation and growth. Therefore, PEBP4 may be a potential therapeutic target in human glioma treatment.
Retinoic acid inducible gene I (RIG-I) senses viral RNAs and triggers innate antiviral responses through induction of type I IFNs and inflammatory cytokines. However, whether RIG-I interacts with ...host cellular RNA remains undetermined. Here we report that Rig-I interacts with multiple cellular mRNAs, especially Nf-κb1 . Rig-I is required for NF-κB activity via regulating Nf-κb1 expression at posttranscriptional levels. It interacts with the multiple binding sites within 3′-UTR of Nf-κb1 mRNA. Further analyses reveal that three distinct tandem motifs enriched in the 3′-UTR fragments can be recognized by Rig-I. The 3′-UTR binding with Rig-I plays a critical role in normal translation of Nf-κb1 by recruiting the ribosomal proteins ribosomal protein L13 (Rpl13) and Rpl8 and rRNAs (18S and 28S). Down-regulation of Rig-I or Rpl13 significantly reduces Nf-κb1 and 3′-UTR–mediated luciferase expression levels. These findings indicate that Rig-I functions as a positive regulator for NF-κB signaling and is involved in multiple biological processes in addition to host antivirus immunity.
A non-motile, Gram-staining negative, catalase- and oxidase-positive, crescent-rod shaped bacterium, designated strain CUG 91308
, was isolated from a sediment sample of Qinghai Lake, Qinghai ...Province, China. Colonies on OSM agar were round, smooth, flat and pinkish-orange in colour. Strain CUG 91308
could grow at 15-37 °C, pH 6-12 and in the presence of up to 7.0 % NaCl (w/v). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain CUG 91308
belonged to the family
and formed a clade with the genus
in the phylogenetic tree, but separated from any species of the known genera within the family. The genomic DNA G+C content is about 42.1 %. The predominant fatty acids (>10 %) were iso-C
(21.1 %), summed feature 3 (C
7c / C
6c / iso-C
2OH) (14.3 %), iso-C
3OH (12.3 %) and summed feature 9 (iso-C
9c / C
10-methyl) (10.6 %). The polar lipids of strain CUG 91308
were phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and four unidentified polar lipids. Strain CUG 91308
contained MK-7 as the major respiratory quinone. On the basis of phenotypic, genotypic and phylogenetic data, strain CUG 91308
represents a novel species of a novel genus in the family
, for which the name
gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of the proposed new isolate is CUG 91308
(=KCTC 62636
=CGMCC 1.13593
).
A novel actinobacterial strain, designated SYSU K12189
T
, was isolated from a soil sample collected from a Karst cave in Xingyi county, Guizhou province, south-western China. The taxonomic position ...of the strain was investigated using a polyphasic approach. Cells of the strain were observed to be aerobic and Gram-stain positive. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities and phylogenetic analysis, strain SYSU K12189
T
is closely related to the type strains of the genus
Microlunatus
,
Microlunatus parietis
12-Be-011
T
(98.5% sequence similarity),
Microlunatus nigridraconis
CPCC 203993
T
(98.4%) and
Microlunatus cavernae
YIM C01117
T
(96.6%), and is therefore considered to represent a member of the genus
Microlunatus.
DNA–DNA hybridization values between strain SYSU K12189
T
and related type strains of the genus
Microlunatus
were < 70%. In addition,
LL
-diaminopimelic acid was found to be the diagnostic diamino acid in the cell wall peptidoglycan. The major isoprenoid quinone was identified as MK-9(H
4
), while the major fatty acids (> 10%) were found to be
anteiso-
C
15:0
,
iso-
C
15:0
,
iso-
C
16:0
and
iso-
C
14:0
. The polar lipids were found to contain diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, three glycolipids and two unidentified lipids. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain SYSU K12189
T
was determined to be 69.4 mol%. On the basis of phenotypic, genotypic and phylogenetic data, strain SYSU K12189
T
is concluded to represent a novel species of the genus
Microlunatus
, for which the name
Microlunatus speluncae
sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SYSU K12189
T
(= KCTC 39847
T
= DSM 103947
T
).
In lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), separators play a vital role in lithium-ion (Li+) transport, and thus affect rate performance, battery life, and safety. Here, a new kind of multifunctional copolymer ...poly(acrylonitrile-
co
-lithium acrylate-
co
-butyl acrylate) (PAAB-Li) is synthesized through soap-free emulsion polymerization, and is used to form homogeneous-covered separator based on PP matrix by a simple dip-annealing process. Compared to the bare PP separator, the modified separators with PAAB-Li enable higher ionic conductivity, higher lithium ion transference number (increased from 0.360 to 0.525), and lower interface impedance (reduced from 155 Ω to 34 Ω). It has been indicated that PAAB-Li functional layer significantly promotes the fast transport of Li
+
and improves the compatibility of the separator/electrolyte-electrode interface. The LiCoO
2
/graphite cells with the PAAB-Li-assisted separator demonstrate excellent cycle stability and rate performance. In addition, the Li symmetric cells with the modified separator stably cycle over 800 h, indicating the functional layer effectively suppresses the lithium dendrite growth. This facile strategy can be easily applied to LIBs requiring high safety and even be scalable to Li metal batteries. Moreover, the possible mechanism of the PAAB-Li functional layer promoting fast and uniform Li+ transport is discussed in this paper.
Candidatus Nanohaloarchaeota, an archaeal phylum within the DPANN superphylum, is characterized by limited metabolic capabilities and limited phylogenetic diversity and until recently has been ...considered to exclusively inhabit hypersaline environments due to an obligate association with Halobacteria. Aside from hypersaline environments, Ca. Nanohaloarchaeota can also have been discovered from deep-subsurface marine sediments.
Three metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) representing a new order within the Ca. Nanohaloarchaeota were reconstructed from a stratified salt crust and proposed to represent a novel order, Nucleotidisoterales. Genomic features reveal them to be anaerobes capable of catabolizing nucleotides by coupling nucleotide salvage pathways with lower glycolysis to yield free energy. Comparative genomics demonstrated that these and other Ca. Nanohaloarchaeota inhabiting saline habitats use a "salt-in" strategy to maintain osmotic pressure based on the high proportion of acidic amino acids. In contrast, previously described Ca. Nanohaloarchaeota MAGs from geothermal environments were enriched with basic amino acids to counter heat stress. Evolutionary history reconstruction revealed that functional differentiation of energy conservation strategies drove diversification within Ca. Nanohaloarchaeota, further leading to shifts in the catabolic strategy from nucleotide degradation within deeper lineages to polysaccharide degradation within shallow lineages.
This study provides deeper insight into the ecological functions and evolution of the expanded phylum Ca. Nanohaloarchaeota and further advances our understanding on the functional and genetic associations between potential symbionts and hosts. Video Abstract.
MRC-5 represents the most frequent human diploid cells (HDCs)-type cell substrate in the production of human viral vaccines. However, early-passage MRC-5 is diminishing and, due to both technical and ...ethical issues, it is extremely difficult to derive novel HDCs from fetal lung tissues, which are the common sources of HDCs. Our previous studies suggested that human umbilical cord may represent an alternative but convenient source of new HDCs. Here, we established a three-tiered cell banking system of a hUC-MSC line, designated previously as Cell Collection and Research Center-1 (CCRC-1). The full characterization indicated that the banked CCRC-1 cells were free from adventitious agents and remained non-tumorigenic. The CCRC-1 cells sustained its rapid proliferation even at passage 30 and were susceptible to the infection of a wide spectrum of viruses. Interestingly, the CCRC-1 cells showed much higher production of EV71 or Rubella viruses than MRC-5 and Vero cells when growing in serum-free medium. More importantly, the EV71 vaccine produced from CCRC-1 cells induced immunogenicity while eliciting no detectable toxicities in the tested mice. Collectively, these studies further supported that CCRC-1, and likely other hUC-MSCs as well, may serve as novel, safe and high-yielding HDCs for the production of human viral vaccines.
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