Expression pattern of heat shock protein 90AB (HSP90AB) and stress-inducible protein 1 (Stip1) during spermatogenesis of mudskipper Boleophthalmus pectinirostris

Variation in immuno-reproductive milieu of testis in Clarias magur from pre-spawning to spawning phase: An indication towards non-canonical role of immune elements in testes

Immune mechanisms are major players in ensuring the normal functioning of testicular functions. However, apart from their role in active defence against pathogens, prior studies have also suggested a possibility for reproduction-related (non-immune) functions of certain immune elements. This study employs a comparative transcriptomics approach followed by network analysis for tracking the variation in the immuno-reproductive milieu of Clarias magur testis in spawning versus pre-spawning phase. The results show a significant modulation of both reproduction and immune-relevant genes in spawning versus pre-spawning phase. The functional enrichment of the upregulated reproduction-relevant gene network also shows immune-related biological processes which indicates a probability of involvement of these candidates in spermatogenesis-related events for switching from pre-spawning to spawning phase. The upregulated immune network is highly dense with 40 hubs, 10 cluster sub-networks and 142 functionally enriched pathways in comparison to its downregulated counterpart with only 5 hubs, 1 cluster and 1 enriched pathway. These findings indicate that the synchronisation in modulation of both reproductive and immune-related factors is critical for progression of testicular events guiding the switch from pre-spawning to spawning phase. The reproductive phase-dependent variation in plasma sex steroid levels and the selected genes for quantitative PCR also corroborated this hypothesis. The study also serves as a preliminary screening step for probable immune candidates that may be involved in reproductive functions of testis in addition to defence.

Cloning and expression of three heat shock protein genes in the gills of Cherax quadricarinatus responding to bacterial challenge

Cherax quadricarinatus is seriously affected by multiple types of pathogens, including bacteria and viruses, and has been widely transplanted around the world. Heat shock proteins (Hsps) are a group of molecular chaperones that play important roles in promoting the proper refolding and blocking the aggregation of denatured proteins. In this study, CqHsp60, CqHsp70 and CqHsp90 from C. quadricarinatus were cloned, and their expression patterns were analysed. The CDS (coding sequence) lengths of the CqHsp60, CqHsp70 and CqHsp90 genes were 1731 bp, 1932 bp and 2199 bp, encoding 576, 643 and 732 amino acids, respectively. CqHsp60 was 99.13%, 98.78% and 88.63% identical to the corresponding sequences of Cherax cainii, Cherax destructor and Eriocheir sinensis, respectively. CqHsp70 showed 99.84%, 92.73% and 91.58% identity to the corresponding sequences of C. cainii, C. destructor and E. sinensis, while CqHsp90 was 98.25%, 98.51% and 91.41% identical with those of C. cainii, C. destructor and E. sinensis, respectively. The expression patterns of the three CqHsps were different between males and females. CqHsp60 and CqHsp70 exhibited the highest expression in the hepatopancreas of males and the gonads of females, and CqHsp90 presented the highest expression in the gonads of males and hepatopancreas of females. After pathogenic inoculation, the death trend of C. quadricarinatus at different time points was the same in association with different pathogens, with most deaths occurring within 6 h post-inoculation. The trend of CqHsp transcription at different time points was the same among the groups treated with Vibrio alginolyticus, Vibrio parahemolyticus and Aeromonas hydrophila, exhibiting upregulation first and then downregulation. The expression of CqHsp60 and CqHsp70 in the gills of living C. quadricarinatus was less than 3.5 times that in the PBS group, but in the gills of dead C. quadricarinatus under A. hydrophila inoculation, its expression was more than 5-9 times that in the PBS group. CqHsp90 expression changed dramatically in the V. alginolyticus, V. parahemolyticus and A. hydrophila groups, in which it exceeded 50 times the level in the PBS group. These results indicated that CqHsps could induce the activation of the immune system within a short time and that CqHsp90 could be used as a more effective molecular biomarker than CqHsp70 and CqHsp60 in a pathogenic bacterium-polluted environment.

STIP1 Regulates Proliferation and Migration of Lung Adenocarcinoma Through JAK2/STAT3 Signaling Pathway

Purpose

Recent studies have shown that STIP1 is associated with proliferation and migration in numerous types of tumors; however, the role of STIP1 in lung adenocarcinoma is still poorly understood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the role of STIP1 in lung adenocarcinoma, in vitro and in vivo.

Methods

The expression of STIP1 in lung adenocarcinoma was assessed by immunohistochemistry, RT-qPCR, and Western blot. The effects of STIP1 on the proliferation of lung adenocarcinoma cells were detected by the cell counting kit-8 assay; the effect of STIP1 on adhesion of lung adenocarcinoma cells was detected by Giemsa staining, while the cell scratch and Transwell assays were employed to examine the effect of STIP1 on the migratory ability of lung adenocarcinoma cells. Finally, apoptosis was evaluated by Hoechst staining and flow cytometry.

Results

The expression level of STIP1 in lung adenocarcinoma tissue was significantly higher than that in adjacent normal tissue (P<0.05). Compared with that in nontransfected controls, cell proliferation, adhesion, and migration, as well as vimentin protein expression and levels of phosphorylated JAK2/STAT3, were significantly decreased (P<0.05) in A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells transfected with STIP1 shRNA, whereas E-cadherin protein expression and rates of apoptosis were significantly increased in these cells (P< 0.05).

Conclusion

Elevated expression of STIP1 in lung adenocarcinoma may enhance the proliferative, adhesive, and migratory ability, and reduce the apoptosis of lung adenocarcinoma cells through the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), thereby promoting the recurrence and metastatic potential of this cancer. The results indicate that STIP1 may be an effective therapeutic target for the treatment of lung adenocarcinoma.