BACKGROUND—Pathological cardiac hypertrophy induced by stresses such as aging and neurohumoral activation is an independent risk factor for heart failure and is considered a target for the treatment ...of heart failure. However, the mechanisms underlying pathological cardiac hypertrophy remain largely unknown. We aimed to investigate the roles of SIRT2 in aging-related and angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced pathological cardiac hypertrophy.
METHODS—Male C57BL/6J wild-type (WT) and Sirt2 knockout (Sirt2-KO) mice were subjected to the investigation of aging-related cardiac hypertrophy. Cardiac hypertrophy was also induced by Ang II (1.3 mg/kg/day for four weeks) in male C57BL/6J Sirt2-KO mice, cardiac-specific SIRT2 transgenic (SIRT2-Tg) mice and their respective littermates (8~12-week-old). Metformin (200 mg/kg/day) was used to treat WT and Sirt2-KO mice that were infused with Ang II. Cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, and cardiac function were examined in these mice.
RESULTS—SIRT2 protein expression levels were down-regulated in hypertrophic hearts from mice. Sirt2-KO markedly exaggerated cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis as well as decreases in cardiac ejection fraction and fractional shortening in aged (24-month-old) mice and Ang II-infused mice. Conversely, cardiac-specific SIRT2 overexpression protected the hearts against Ang II-induced cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis and rescued cardiac function. Mechanistically, SIRT2 maintained the activity of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in aged and Ang II-induced hypertrophic hearts in vivo as well as in cardiomyocytes in vitro. We identified the liver kinase B1 (LKB1), the major upstream kinase of AMPK, as the direct target of SIRT2. SIRT2 bound to LKB1 and deacetylated it at lysine 48, which promoted the phosphorylation of LKB1 and the subsequent activation of LKB1-AMPK signaling. Remarkably, the loss of SIRT2 blunted the response of AMPK to metformin treatment in mice infused with Ang II and repressed the metformin-mediated reduction of cardiac hypertrophy and protection of cardiac function.
CONCLUSIONS—SIRT2 promotes AMPK activation by deacetylating the kinase LKB1. Loss of SIRT2 reduces AMPK activation, promotes aging-related and Ang II-induced cardiac hypertrophy and blunts metformin-mediated cardioprotective effects. These findings indicate that SIRT2 will be a potential target for therapeutic interventions in aging and stress-induced cardiac hypertrophy.
The homeostatic link between oxidative stress and autophagy plays an important role in cellular responses to a wide variety of physiological and pathological conditions. However, the regulatory ...pathway and outcomes remain incompletely understood. Here, we show that reactive oxygen species (ROS) function as signaling molecules that regulate autophagy through ataxia‐telangiectasia mutated (ATM) and cell cycle checkpoint kinase 2 (CHK2), a DNA damage response (DDR) pathway activated during metabolic and hypoxic stress. We report that CHK2 binds to and phosphorylates Beclin 1 at Ser90/Ser93, thereby impairing Beclin 1‐Bcl‐2 autophagy‐regulatory complex formation in a ROS‐dependent fashion. We further demonstrate that CHK2‐mediated autophagy has an unexpected role in reducing ROS levels via the removal of damaged mitochondria, which is required for cell survival under stress conditions. Finally, CHK2−/− mice display aggravated infarct phenotypes and reduced Beclin 1 p‐Ser90/Ser93 in a cerebral stroke model, suggesting an in vivo role of CHK2‐induced autophagy in cell survival. Taken together, these results indicate that the ROS‐ATM‐CHK2‐Beclin 1‐autophagy axis serves as a physiological adaptation pathway that protects cells exposed to pathological conditions from stress‐induced tissue damage.
Synopsis
Whether hypoxia and nutrient starvation are coupled to cellular autophagy remains unclear. Here, DNA damage response kinases ATM and CHK2 are shown to trigger autophagy in response to reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, suggesting a novel physiological adaptation pathway toward metabolic stress.
Depletion of CHK2 or ATM impairs oxidative stress‐induced autophagy in MEFs.
CHK2 binds and phosphorylates Beclin1 at Ser90/Ser93, suppressing Beclin1‐Bcl‐2 autophagy regulatory complex formation.
CHK2‐induced autophagy limits intracellular ROS levels by clearing damaged mitochondria.
CHK2‐induced autophagy protects against cell death and tissue damage following cerebral ischemia.
ROS accumulation activates protective autophagy to prevent stress‐induced tissue damage.
Abstract
A total of about 21,600 Am candidates were detected with the MKCLASS code based on the low-resolution spectra of the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope Data Releases 8 ...(v1.0), 9 (v0), and 10 (v0), which greatly expands the database of Am-type stars. By crossmatching the known catalogs of Am stars and our Am candidates with the AAVSO International Variable Star Index catalog, a catalog of the largest eclipsing Am binaries was obtained, which includes 754 binaries and provides a substantial sample with which to study Am stars. Fundamental information, including atmospheric parameters of the two kinds of candidates, are collected and listed in the catalogs, such as temperature, log
g
, and metallicity. We further carried out statistical analysis of the types of parameters. In our new catalog, there are some Am candidates with a temperature lower than 7000 K and some eclipsing Am binary candidates with a period of less than 1 day, which poses challenges to the slow rotation of stars classified as type Am observed in previous research. These candidates are significant and provide a great opportunity to explore the real relationship between Am-type stars’ peculiarity and slow stellar rotation. The Hertzsprung–Russell diagram of Am stars and the primary stars of eclipsing Am binary candidates indicate that a majority of the Am stars and almost all primary stars of binaries are in or around the main-sequence evolution stage.
Background and Aims
DNA damage‐induced NF‐κB activation is a major obstacle to effective antitumour chemotherapy. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) that regulate chemoresistance of cancer cells remain ...largely unknown. This study aimed to characterize the lncRNAs that may affect chemotherapy sensitivity.
Approach and Results
We found that lncRNA PDIA3P1 (protein disulfide isomerase family A member 3 pseudogene 1) was up‐regulated in multiple cancer types and following treatment with DNA‐damaging chemotherapeutic agents, like doxorubicin (Dox). Higher PDIA3P1 level was associated with poorer recurrence‐free survival of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Both gain‐of‐function and loss‐of‐function studies revealed that PDIA3P1 protected cancer cells from Dox‐induced apoptosis and allowed tumor xenografts to grow faster and to be more resistant to Dox treatment. Mechanistically, miR‐125a/b and miR‐124 suppressed the expression of tumor necrosis factor receptor‐associated factor 6 (TRAF6), but PDIA3P1 bound to miR‐125a/b/miR‐124 and relieved their repression on TRAF6, leading to activation of the nuclear factor kappa B (NF‐κB) pathway. Consistently, the effect of PDIA3P1 inhibition in promoting Dox‐triggered apoptosis was antagonized by silencing the inhibitor of κBα (IκBα) or overexpressing TRAF6. Administration of BAY 11‐7085, an NF‐κB inhibitor attenuated PDIA3P1‐induced resistance to Dox treatment in mouse xenografts. Moreover, up‐regulation of PDIA3P1 was significantly correlated with elevation of TRAF6, phosphorylated p65, or NF‐κB downstream anti‐apoptosis genes in human HCC tissues. These data indicate that enhanced PDIA3P1 expression may confer chemoresistance by acting as a microRNA sponge to increase TRAF6 expression and augment NF‐κB signaling. Subsequent investigations into the mechanisms of PDIA3P1 up‐regulation revealed that human homologue of mRNA transport mutant 4 (hMTR4), which promotes RNA degradation, could bind to PDIA3P1, and this interaction was disrupted by Dox treatment. Overexpression of hMTR4 attenuated Dox‐induced elevation of PDIA3P1, whereas silencing hMTR4 increased PDIA3P1 level, suggesting that Dox may up‐regulate PDIA3P1 by abrogating the hMTR4‐mediated PDIA3P1 degradation.
Conclusion
There exists a hMTR4‐PDIA3P1‐miR‐125/124‐TRAF6 regulatory axis that regulates NF‐κB signaling and chemoresistance, which may be exploited for anticancer therapy.
A new triterpene, javablumine A (1) along with six known ones were isolated from the aerial parts of Sambucus javanica Blume. They were identified as ...3β,23-dihydroxy-11α,12α-epoxy-urs-20(30)-en-28,13β-olide (1), ursolic acid (2), pomolic acid (3), oleanic acid (4), 2α-hydroxy-oleanolic acid (5), α-amyrin (6), and lupeol palmitate (7), respectively. Compounds 1 and 3 exhibited inhibitory effect against nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated RAW264.7 macrophage cell lines with IC
50
values of 17.4 and 26.2 μM, respectively.
L-ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) can enhance the meiotic maturation and developmental competence of porcine oocytes, but the underlying molecular mechanism remains obscure. Here we show the role of ...ascorbic acid in regulating epigenetic status of both nucleic acids and chromatin to promote oocyte maturation and development in pigs. Supplementation of 250 μM L-ascorbic acid 2-phosphate sesquimagnesium salt hydrate (AA2P) during in vitro maturation significantly enhanced the nuclear maturation (as indicated by higher rate of first polar body extrusion and increased Bmp15 mRNA level), reduced level of reactive oxygen species, and promoted developmental potency (higher cleavage and blastocyst rates of parthenotes, and decreased Bax and Caspase3 mRNA levels in blastocysts) of pig oocytes. AA2P treatment caused methylation erasure in mature oocytes on nucleic acids (5-methylcytosine (5 mC) and N
-methyladenosine (m
A)) and histones (Histone H3 trimethylations at lysines 27, H3K27me3), but establishment of histone H3 trimethylations at lysines 4 (H3K4me3) and 36 (H3K36me3). During the global methylation reprogramming process, levels of TET2 (mRNA and protein) and Dnmt3b (mRNA) were significantly elevated, but simultaneously DNMT3A (mRNA and protein), and also Hif-1α, Hif-2α, Tet3, Mettl14, Kdm5b and Eed (mRNA) were significantly inhibited. Our findings support that ascorbic acid can reprogram the methylation status of not only DNA and histone, but also RNA, to improve pig oocyte maturation and developmental competence.
Although thousands of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been annotated, only a limited number of them have been functionally characterized. Here, we identified an oncogenic lncRNA, named lnc‐UCID ...(lncRNA up‐regulating CDK6 by interacting with DHX9). Lnc‐UCID was up‐regulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and a higher lnc‐UCID level was correlated with shorter recurrence‐free survival of HCC patients. Both gain‐of‐function and loss‐of function studies revealed that lnc‐UCID enhanced cyclin‐dependent kinase 6 (CDK6) expression and thereby promoted G1/S transition and cell proliferation. Studies from mouse xenograft models revealed that tumors derived from lnc‐UCID‐silenced HCC cells had a much smaller size than those from control cells, and intratumoral injection of lnc‐UCID small interfering RNA suppressed xenograft growth. Mechanistically, the 850‐1030‐nt domain of lnc‐UCID interacted physically with DEAH (Asp‐Glu‐Ala‐His) box helicase 9 (DHX9), an RNA helicase. On the other hand, DHX9 post‐transcriptionally suppressed CDK6 expression by binding to the 3′‐untranslated region (3′UTR) of CDK6 mRNA. Further investigation disclosed that lnc‐UCID enhanced CDK6 expression by competitively binding to DHX9 and sequestering DHX9 from CDK6‐3′UTR. In an attempt to explore the mechanisms responsible for lnc‐UCID up‐regulation in HCC, we found that the lnc‐UCID gene was frequently amplified in HCC. Furthermore, miR‐148a, whose down‐regulation was associated with an increase of lnc‐UCID in HCC, could bind lnc‐UCID and inhibit its expression. Conclusion: Up‐regulation of lnc‐UCID, which may result from amplification of its gene locus and down‐regulation of miR‐148a, can promote HCC growth by preventing the interaction of DHX9 with CDK6 and subsequently enhancing CDK6 expression. These findings provide insights into the biological functions of lncRNAs, the regulatory network of cell cycle control, and the mechanisms of HCC development, which may be exploited for anticancer therapy.
Escherichia coli, one of the most efficient expression hosts for recombinant proteins (RPs), is widely used in chemical, medical, food and other industries. However, conventional expression strains ...are unable to effectively express proteins with complex structures or toxicity. The key to solving this problem is to alleviate the host burden associated with protein overproduction and to enhance the ability to accurately fold and modify RPs at high expression levels. Here, we summarize the recently developed optimization strategies for the high-level production of RPs from the two aspects of host burden and protein activity. The aim is to maximize the ability of researchers to quickly select an appropriate optimization strategy for improving the production of RPs.
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2) is continuously and rapidly circulating at present. Asymptomatic patients have been proven to ...be contagious and thus pose a significant infection control challenge. Here we describe the characteristics of asymptomatic patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection in Jinan, Shandong province, China. A total of 47 patients with confirmed COVID-19 were recruited. Among them, 11 patients were categorized as asymptomatic cases. We found that the asymptomatic patients in Jinan were relatively young and were mainly clustered cases. The laboratory indicators and lung lesion on chest CT were mild. No special factors were found accounting for the presence or absence of symptoms. The presence of asymptomatic patients increased the difficulty of screening. It is necessary to strengthen the identification of such patients in the future.
Terpenoids are an important class of secondary metabolites that play an important role in food, agriculture, and other fields. Microorganisms are rapidly emerging as a promising source for the ...production of terpenoids. As an oleaginous yeast, Yarrowia lipolytica contains a high lipid content which indicates that it must produce high amounts of acetyl-CoA, a necessary precursor for the biosynthesis of terpenoids. Y. lipolytica has a complete eukaryotic mevalonic acid (MVA) pathway but it has not yet seen commercial use due to its low productivity. Several metabolic engineering strategies have been developed to improve the terpenoids production of Y. lipolytica, including developing the orthogonal pathway for terpenoid synthesis, increasing the catalytic efficiency of terpenoids synthases, enhancing the supply of acetyl-CoA and NADPH, expressing rate-limiting genes, and modifying the branched pathway. Moreover, most of the acetyl-CoA is used to produce lipid, so it is an effective strategy to strike a balance of precursor distribution by rewiring the lipid biosynthesis pathway. Lastly, the latest developed non-homologous end-joining strategy for improving terpenoid production is introduced. This review summarizes the status and metabolic engineering strategies of terpenoids biosynthesis in Y. lipolytica and proposes new insights to move the field forward.
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