1p36.32 rearrangements and the role of PI-PLC η2 in nervous tumours

Upregulation of MAPK10, TUBB2B and RASL11B may contribute to the development of neuroblastoma

The present study aimed to investigate genes and transcription factors (TFs) that may contribute to neuroblastoma (NB) development. The GSE78061 dataset that included 25 human NB cell lines and four retinal pigment epithelial cell lines was used to analyze differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between groups. Functional enrichment analysis and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis were performed for the identified DEGs. Additionally, submodule analysis and TF-target regulatory networks were conducted. The relative mRNA expression levels of mitogen-activated protein kinase 10 (MAPK10), tubulin β 2B class IIb (TUBB2B), RAS like family 11 member B (RASL11B) and integrin subunit α 2 (ITGA2) in the NB cell line SH-SY5Y were compared with retinal pigment epithelial cell lines. A set of 386 upregulated and 542 downregulated DEGs were obtained. Upregulated DEGs were significantly associated with the ‘neuron migration’ and ‘dopaminergic synapse signaling’ pathways, whereas, downregulated DEGs were primarily involved in ‘focal adhesion’ such as ITGA2 and ITGA3. In the PPI networks analyzed, MAPK10, dopa decarboxylase (DDC), G protein subunit γ 2 (GNG2), paired like homeobox 2B (PHOX2B), TUBB2B, RASL11B, and ITGA2 were hub genes with high connectivity degrees. Additionally, PHOX2B was predicted to be a TF regulating TUBB2B in the regulatory network. The expressions of MAPK10, TUBB2B, RASL11B and ITGA2 were detected by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction in the NB cell line SH-SY5Y, and were consistent with the present bioinformatics results, suggesting that MAPK10, DDC, GNG2, PHOX2B, TUBB2B, RASL11B, ITGA2 and ITGA3 may contribute to NB development. Additionally, the present study identified a novel significant association between the increased expression levels of MAPK10, TUBB2B and RASL11B, and NB cells.

Phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C in normal human liver and in alcohol abuse

The phosphoinositide (PI) signal transduction pathway participates in liver metabolism. Abnormal activity or expression of PI-specific phospholipase C (PLC) enzymes has been described in different liver diseases. We resume the role of the PI metabolism in liver and PLC abnormalities in different liver diseases. Moreover, we present the results of PLC analyses in a normal human liver and an alcohol-damaged liver. PLC enzymes and the expression of the corresponding genes in liver biopsies from individuals deceased for complications of the alcoholic liver disease (ALD) at different stages compared with normal controls (deceased individuals with histologically normal livers without alcohol addiction anamnesis) were analyzed by using immunohistochemistry and molecular biology techniques. The expression panel of PLCs was described in normal and alcohol abuse liver. Our observations suggest that the regulation of PLC expression might be due to posttranscriptional events and that alcohol affects the epigenetic control of PLC expression belonging to PI signaling. We also describe the alternate expression of PLCB1 and PLCH1 genes in liver. Our results corroborate literature data suggesting that PLC enzymes are differently expressed in normal versus pathological liver, playing a role in the histopathogenesis of liver tissue damage. The expression and/or localization of selected PLC isoforms is especially affected in alcohol-related liver tissue histopathology. Our present observations confirm that the modulation of protein synthesis plays a role in the regulation of PLC enzymes. We also suggest that this modulation might act at the transcription level. Further studies are required to investigate related epigenetic mechanisms.

LPS, Oleuropein and Blueberry extracts affect the survival, morphology and Phosphoinositide signalling in stimulated human endothelial cells

Endothelial cells (EC) act as leading actors in angiogenesis. Understanding the complex network of signal transduction pathways which regulate angiogenesis might offer insights in the regulation of normal and pathological events, including tumours, vascular, inflammatory and immune diseases. The effects of olive oil and of Blueberry extracts upon the phosphoinositide (PI)-specific phospholipase C (PLC) enzymes were evaluated both in quiescent and inflammatory stimulated human umbilical vein EC (HUVEC) using molecular biology (multiliquid bioanalysis) and immunofluorescence techniques. Oleuropein significantly increased the number of surviving HUVEC compared to untreated controls, suggesting that it favours the survival and proliferation of EC. Our results suggest that Oleuropein might be useful to induce EC proliferation, an important event during angiogenesis, with special regard to wound healing. Blueberry extracts increased the number of surviving HUVEC, although the comparison to untreated controls did not result statistically significant. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administration significantly reduced the number of live HUVEC. LPS can also modify the expression of selected PLC genes. Adding Blueberry extracts to LPS treated HUVEC cultures did not significantly modify the variations of PLC expression induced by LPS. Oleuropein increased or reduced the expression of PLC genes, and statistically significant results were identified for selected PLC isoforms. Oleuropein also modified the effects of LPS upon PLC genes' expression. Thus, our results corroborate the hypothesis that Oleuropein owns anti-inflammatory activity. The intracellular localization of PLC enzymes was modified by the different treatments we used. Podosome-like structures were observed in differently LPS treated HUVEC.