Evaluation of the differentiation status of neural stem cells based on cell morphology and the expression of Notch and Sox2

Functional analysis of a down-regulated transcription factor-SoxNeuroA gene involved in the acaricidal mechanism of scopoletin against spider mites

BACKGROUND

Insight into the mode of action of plant-derived acaricides will help in the development of sustainable control strategies for mite pests. Scopoletin, a promising plant-derived bioactive compound, displays prominent acaricidal activity against Tetranychus cinnabarinus. The transcription factor SoxNeuroA plays a vital role in maintaining calcium ion (Ca2+ ) homeostasis. Down-regulation of SoxNeuroA gene expression occurs in scopoletin-exposed mites, but the functional role of this gene remains unknown.

RESULTS

A SoxNeuroA gene from T. cinnabarinus (TcSoxNeuroA) was first cloned and identified. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and Western blotting assays all confirmed that the gene expression and protein levels of TcSoxNeuroA were significantly reduced under scopoletin exposure. Furthermore, RNA interference silencing of the weakly expressed SoxNeuroA gene significantly enhanced the susceptibility of mites to scopoletin, suggesting that the acaricidal mechanism of scopoletin was mediated by the weakly expressed SoxNeuroA gene. Additionally, yeast one-hybrid (Y1H) and dual-luciferase reporter assays revealed that TcSoxNeuroA was a repressor of Orai1 Ca2+ channel gene transcription, and the key binding sequence was ATCAAAG (positions -361 to -368 of the Orai1 promoter). Importantly, site-directed mutagenesis and microscale thermophoresis assays further indicated that ASP185, ARG189, and LYS217, which were key predicted hydrogen-bonding sites in the molecular docking model, may be the vital binding sites for scopoletin in TcSoxNeuroA.

CONCLUSION

These results demonstrate that the acaricidal mechanism of scopoletin involves inhibition of the transcription factor SoxNeuroA, thus inducing the activation of the Orai1 Ca2+ channel, eventually leading to Ca2+ overload and lethality. Elucidation of the transcription factor-targeted mechanism for this potent plant-derived acaricide has vital implications for the design of next-generation green acaricides with novel targets. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Stem signatures associating SOX2 antibody helps to define diagnosis and prognosis prediction with esophageal cancer

BACKGROUND

esophageal cancer is one of the deadliest diseases worldwide. Due to the ineffectual screening methods referring to early diagnosis, most people have lost their chance of radical resection when diagnosed with esophageal cancer. This aim of this study was designed to evaluate the latent values of the stem signatures-associated autoantibodies (AABS) in predicting the early diagnosis, and particularly seeking the precise predictive outcomes with sensitive SOX2. We also studied the potential immunotherapeutic targets and prospective long-term prognosis predicators of esophageal cancer.

METHODS

The serum concentrations of selective antibodies were quantitated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and a total of 203 local cases were enrolled. The TCGA databases were used to analyse distinct expression patterns and prognostic values of related genes. The TIMER database was used to explore the signatures of immune cell infiltration in related genes. The TISIDB database was used to analyse the association between related genes and immune regulators.

RESULTS

The stem signatures-associated with antibodies of TP53, PGP9.5, SOX2, and CAGE were highly expressed in esophageal cancer and were negatively correlated with the test group, the diagnostic sensitivity of P53, SOX2, PGP9.5 and CAGE reached to 54.3%, 56.5%, 80.4% and 47.8%, respectively, and the specificity reached 77.7%, 93.6%, 76.4% and 86.6%. Especially in stage I esophageal cancer, the diagnostic sensitivity of SOX2 reached 82.4% with a specificity of 85.4%, which demonstrated good value in early diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS

The stem signatures-associated antibodies could be used as an effective indicator in early esophageal cancer diagnosis and could help to precisely predicate survival and prognosis.Key MessagesThe stem signatures-associated immune-antibodies could be used as effective indicators in early diagnosis of esophageal cancer and help to precisely predicate the survival and prognosis.The potential immunotherapeutic targets referring to esophageal cancer are screened and analysed, and the high sensitivity of SOX2 in detecting early esophageal cancer will yield early and effective treatments.

Research progress of endogenous neural stem cells in spinal cord injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a severe disabling disease, which mainly manifests as impairments of sensory and motor functions, sexual function, bladder and intestinal functions, respiratory and cardiac functions below the injury plane. In addition, the condition has a profound effect on the mental health of patients, which often results in severe sequelae. Some patients may be paraplegic for life or even die, which places a huge burden on the family and society. There is still no effective treatment for SCI. Studies have confirmed that endogenous neural stem cells (ENSCs), as multipotent neural stem cells, which are located in the ependymal region of the central canal of the adult mammalian spinal cord, are activated after SCI and then differentiate into various nerve cells to promote endogenous repair and regeneration. However, the central canal of the spinal cord is often occluded to varying degrees in adults, and residual ependymal cells cannot be activated and do not proliferate after SCI. Besides, the destruction of the microenvironment after SCI is also an important factor that affects the proliferation and differentiation of ENSCs and spinal cord repair. Therefore, this review describes the role of ENSCs in SCI, in terms of the origin, transformation, treatment, and influencing factors, to provide new ideas for clinical treatment of SCI.

The Antioxidant Phytochemical Schisandrin A Promotes Neural Cell Proliferation and Differentiation after Ischemic Brain Injury

Schisandrin A (SCH) is a natural bioactive phytonutrient that belongs to the lignan derivatives found in Schisandra chinensis fruit. This study aims to investigate the impact of SCH on promoting neural progenitor cell (NPC) regeneration for avoiding stroke ischemic injury. The promoting effect of SCH on NPCs was evaluated by photothrombotic model, immunofluorescence, cell line culture of NPCs, and Western blot assay. The results showed that neuron-specific class III beta-tubulin (Tuj1) was positive with Map2 positive nerve fibers in the ischemic area after using SCH. In addition, Nestin and SOX2 positive NPCs were significantly (p < 0.05) increased in the penumbra and core. Further analysis identified that SCH can regulate the expression level of cell division control protein 42 (Cdc42). In conclusion, our findings suggest that SCH enhanced NPCs proliferation and differentiation possible by Cdc42 to regulated cytoskeletal rearrangement and polarization of cells, which provides new hope for the late recovery of stroke.

Ethyl Pyruvate-Derived Transdifferentiation of Astrocytes to Oligodendrogenesis in Cuprizone-Induced Demyelinating Model

Astrocytes redifferentiate into oligodendrogenesis, raising the possibility that astrocytes may be a potential target in the treatment of adult demyelinated lesion. Upon the basis of the improvement of behavior abnormality and demyelination by ethyl pyruvate (EP) treatment, we further explored whether EP affects the function of astrocytes, especially the transdifferentiation of astrocytes into oligodendrogenesis. The results showed that EP treatment increased the accumulation of astrocytes in myelin sheath and promoted the phagocytosis of myelin debris by astrocytes in vivo and in vitro. At the same time, EP treatment induced astrocytes to upregulate the expression of CNTF and BDNF in the corpus callosum and striatum as well as cultured astrocytes, accompanied by increased expression of nestin, Sox2, and β-catenin and decreased expression of Notch1 by astrocytes. As a result, EP treatment effectively promoted the generation of NG2+ and PDGF-Ra+ oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) that, in part, express astrocyte marker GFAP. Further confirmation was performed by intracerebral injection of primary astrocytes labeled with carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester (CFSE). As expected, NG2+ OPCs expressing CFSE and Sox2 were elevated in the corpus callosum of mice treated with EP following transplantation, revealing that EP can convert astrocytes into myelinating cells. Our results indicate the possibility that EP lead to effective myelin repair in patients suffering from myelination deficit.Graphical Abstract The diagram of EP action for promoting myelin regeneration in CPZ model. EP promoted migration and enrichment of astrocytes to demyelinated tissue and induced astrocytes to express neurotrophic CNTF and BDNF as well as translation factor nestin, Sox2, and β-catenin, which should contribute to astrocytes to differentiate of oligodendrogenesis. At the same time, EP promoted astrocytes to phagocytized myelin debris for removing the harmful substances of myelin regeneration.